{"id":72,"date":"2019-05-02T22:22:13","date_gmt":"2019-05-02T14:22:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/?p=72"},"modified":"2019-05-05T21:52:24","modified_gmt":"2019-05-05T13:52:24","slug":"adverse-effects-involving-body-image-and-self-identity-experienced-by-adolescent-females-from-viewing-and-posting-idealised-images-of-fit-and-healthy-bodies-on-instagram","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/2019\/05\/02\/adverse-effects-involving-body-image-and-self-identity-experienced-by-adolescent-females-from-viewing-and-posting-idealised-images-of-fit-and-healthy-bodies-on-instagram\/","title":{"rendered":"Adverse effects involving body image and self-identity experienced by adolescent females from viewing and posting idealised images of fit and healthy bodies on Instagram."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Adverse effects involving body image and self-identity experienced by adolescent females from viewing and posting idealised images of fit and healthy bodies on Instagram.<\/a>Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Abstract<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This paper presents and discusses research on the process of adolescent females interacting with and posting idealised images of fit and healthy bodies on the social networking site Instagram, and the adverse effects this has on their self-identity and body image. This research finds that Instagram provides adolescent females with continuous access to peer culture and an influx of media representing idealised images of fit and healthy bodies. The adverse effects resulting from the viewing and sharing of these images include body image concerns, unauthentic displays of identity, self-dissatisfaction, conforming to gendered and sexualised stereotypes, objectification, poor self and social comparison and disordered eating. Issues around the need for peer validation and constant impression management practises are significant throughout the research.
<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n


Social networking sites such as Instagram are found to be an important part of adolescent social life and a representation of primary public spaces (Hodkinson, 2017). Instagram is a mobile app which was originally released on October 6th<\/sup>, 2010 for iPhones, before progressing to also include the Android system. In 2015, the app recorded more than 300 million active users and 70 million photographs uploaded every day, \u201callowing users to share life moments through pictures as they happen in real time\u201d (Ridgway, 2016: p. 2). Instagram allows users to post photographs directly through the app or use photographs they\u2019ve taken with their phone or camera beforehand, such as idealised images of fit and healthy bodies. When posting a photograph to Instagram, users can add a description, a filter or other edits, and metadata, including hashtags and geotags. These forms of metadata can assist in grouping photographs together into categories, such as that of fitspiration or #fitspiration (fitness and inspiration). Users can search or follow specific hashtags, tailoring what they want to view and engage with on the platform. Posts can be commented on and liked by other Instagram users, and users can follow each other, allowing the other user\u2019s content to appear in their feed (Ridgway, 2016). Since 2016, user\u2019s feeds on Instagram are ordered using an algorithm (Cotter, 2018). This means that images in their feed are ordered depending on posts the user has interacted with, profiles they have searched for and their relationship with other users. Algorithms have an effect on social realities in ways that cannot be clearly seen (Cotter, 2018). This relates to the fact that Instagram has not given specific details around the workings of its algorithm \u2013 just that it is showing users what they most want to see. This could be influencing users to view and interact with specific categories of images, including #fitspiration. This act of liking, commenting and following of users can represent popularity and be a rewarding experience for users. Studies have shown that using Instagram regularly, as female adolescents commonly do, can have a negative effect on body image and body satisfaction (Ahazadeh, 2017). This can also relate to an increase in self objectification in adolescent females, which relates to comparisons between the self and models and celebrities (Fardouly, 2017). This act of self-comparison to models and celebrities relates to female adolescents experiencing adverse effects from using and viewing fitspiration images on Instagram. Algorithms can influence the particular images viewed and ultimately the act self-comparison. The negative effects of self-comparison experienced by adolescent females include negative body image and body satisfaction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A\ncommon type of photograph which appears on Instagram is the \u2018selfie\u2019. This was\nthe word of the year by Oxford Dictionary in 2013, \u201ca photograph that one has\ntaken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded\nto a social media web site\u201d (Oxford Dictionaries, 2014). These images can involve\nthe idealised images of a fit and healthy body, either posted by or viewed by\nfemale adolescents. The self-representation offered by posting selfies, has\nbeen found to be related to concepts of narcissism and even psychopathy (Ridgway,\n2016). Selfies can also represent a user\u2019s body satisfaction and \u201chelp to\nempower users by serving as a platform for self-representation\u201d (Ridgway, 2016:\np. 3), but still promotes negative body comparison and low internalised body\nsatisfaction (Ridgway, 2016; Ahadzadeh, 2017). These types of photographs\nposted on Instagram are commonly representations of idealised fit and healthy\nbodies, also known as \u2018fitspiration\u2019 images (Fardouly, 2017). As mentioned previously,\nwhen uploading photos onto Instagram, filters and edits can be applied. This\ncan be done directly through the app or from external editing platforms. The\naltering of selfies can be used to change one\u2019s appearance \u2013 including skin\nsmoothing and body contorting to fit into societal gendered stereotypes of\nbeauty. This can relate to presenting an unauthentic self, relate to impression\nmanagement and have adverse effects on one\u2019s self-identity (Ridgway, 2016;\nHodkinson, 2015).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Female\nadolescents can experience \u201cthe presence of sexual double standards in peer\nnormative discourses\u201d (Mascheroni et al., 2015: p. 1). Historically, mainstream\nmedia has been found to shape contemporary concepts and constructs of\nfemininity through representations of women (Lupinetti, 2015) and \u201cnotions of\nthe ideal female body\u201d (Reade, 2016: p. 1).  Social networking sites such as Instagram are\nfound to represent significantly gendered identity spaces which can position\nadolescent females to be more subjected to sexualised stereotypes (Ringrose and\nBarajas, 2011; Mascheroni et al., 2015). These representations and stereotypes\neven involve \u201cgender-typical poses and clothing\u201d (Reade, 2016: p. 1) which are\npresented in images on Instagram, being strongly feminine or masculine and\nresembling \u201cthe visual codes of advertising\u201d (Mascheroni et al., 2015: p. 11).\nThis advertising style adapted through users\u2019 photographs can represent the\nsexualisation and objectification present on the platform. These stereotypes,\ndouble standards and sexualised feminine models of beauty presented to\nadolescent females on social networking sites have been found to be commonly\nconformed to. This is reportedly done in the hopes of peer validation and\nacceptance (Mascheroni et al., 2015; Lupinetti, 2015), which relates to\nimpression management, and consistently trying to construct a desired identity\nto achieve this peer validation and acceptance. Conforming in social publics\ncan result in validation in the form of likes, comments and followers \u2013\nInstagram\u2019s currency of popularity (Tiggemann et al., 2018). This process of\nconforming can have adverse effects on the process of an adolescent\u2019s\nconstruction of identity (Ringrose and Barajas, 2011). The process of\nconstructing an identity has changed significantly throughout time, with people\npresenting themselves in predominantly physical public spaces, to online spaces\n(Boyd, 2007). This allows for more time to practise impression management, by contemplating,\nediting, constructing and formulating an identity, which may result in it being\nless authentic and stable (Hodkinson, 2017). Female adolescents conforming to\nthese gendered and sexualised online representations, presents a more binary\nview of gender in the online public space. This may pose issues for those who\nmay not feel they fit into binary gender roles, causing internalisation,\nself-objectification and appearance comparisons (Fardouly, 2017). These\nrepercussions are an example of adverse effects experienced by adolescent\nfemales for viewing and posting idealised images of fit and healthy bodies on\nInstagram. In this instance \u2013 these idealised images representing binary\ngendered and highly sexualised representations of idealised bodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As\ndiscussed, Instagram is a social networking site which promotes popularity\nthrough likes, comments and follows. The platform hosts photographs posted by\nusers, including selfies and fitspiration images, and represents a highly\ngendered space with female sexualisation and gendered stereotypes (Mascheroni\net al., 2015; Lupinetti, 2015). These selfies and fitspiration images represent\nthe idealised images of a fit and healthy body, which have adverse effects on\nfemale adolescent\u2019s self-identity and body image. Fitspiration is generally\npromoted as a positive term \u2013 promoting physical exercise and healthy eating.\nHowever, the viewing of fitspiration images is reported to have a direct cause\nof increased body images concerns in adolescent women (Fardouly, 2017), as well\nas reported poorer self-compassion (Slater, 2017). These adverse effects on\nadolescent women caused by idealised images of fit and healthy bodies have\ndarker and more negative connotations than that of healthy food choices and\nexercise. Holland and Tiggemann (2017) found that women who post images of\nidealised fit and healthy bodies actually have a higher drive for thinness,\nbulimia and compulsive exercise compared to those who do not. It is found that\nthese idealised images posted on Instagram can actually induce messages of\nguilt and promote stronger motivations toward appearance rather than health\n(Holland and Tiggemann, 2017). Even though these images promote messages and\ncaptions such as, \u2018Strong beats skinny every time\u2019, it is reported that\nthin-ideal internalisation is common with those who post and interact with this\ntype of content (Slater, 2017; Holland and Tiggemann, 2017). So much so, that\nsome adolescent females involved with posting and interacting with fitspiration\ncontent on Instagram, are reported to be at risk for clinical eating disorders (Holland\nand Tiggemann, 2017). A specific eating disorder found directly linked to\nInstagram use is that of Orthorexia Nervosa, or obsessively pursuing a healthy\ndiet (Turner and Lefevre, 2017). A study was done directly correlating the two\nusing the ORTO-15 inventory, a questionnaire used to diagnose Orthorexia\nNervosa. The study found that this link did not occur with any other social\nnetworking site (Turner and Lefevre, 2017). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This\npaper will discuss the process of adolescent females interacting with and\nposting idealised images of fit and healthy bodies on the social networking\nsite Instagram, and the adverse effects this has on their self-identity and\nbody image. Body image is found to be a socially and culturally formulated\nmental image of one\u2019s physical self (Fisher, 1986), which may be different to\nwhat someone represents and promotes on social networking sites. This can be\nclosely related to the construction and upkeep of one\u2019s identity, which \u201cis an\nambiguous and slippery term \u2026 [it] implies a relationship with a broader\ncollective or social group of some kind\u201d (Buckingham, 2007: p. 5).  This construction and upkeep of identity\nrelates to Goffman\u2019s (1959) concept of \u2018impression management\u2019, involving the\ncontrol and regulation of information for the purpose of influencing\nperceptions. Female adolescents have more barriers in place than ever before\nwhen it comes to developing and maintaining a positive self-identity and body\nimage, with the use of social networking sites such as Instagram and having\nfull time access to peer culture (Mascherone et al., 2015), presented to them\nin forms and orders specially formulated by social algorithms (Cotter, 2018).\nPublic spaces have evolved from mainly physical spaces to online spaces (Boyd,\n2007; Hodkinson, 2017), which serve as \u201cprimary public spaces of interaction\u201d\n(Hodkinson, 2015; p. 9). These\nprimary public spaces of interaction include social media platforms such as\nInstagram. This platform allows female adolescents to interact with and post\nidealised images of a fit and healthy body, this can have adverse effects on\ntheir self-identity and body image (Buckingham, 2007; Ridgway, 2016).\nThis will be discussed further throughout this paper, explaining how and why\nadolescents posting and viewing idealised images of fit and healthy bodies on\nInstagram has negative effects on their self-identity and body image. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This\nis a representation of internalisation experienced by adolescent females who\nuse Instagram (Ahadzadeh, 2017). They promote one thing – healthy eating, being\nstrong, loving yourself, and they feel another \u2013 negative body image,\nself-objectification and comparison to others (Fardouly, 2017). This relates to\nthe popular use of social networking sites in a late capitalist society, which\npromotes immediate forms of interaction. This presents a lessened importance\nfor authentic, stable displays of identity, through \u201ccultures of \u2018always on\u2019\naccess via mobile technologies\u201d (Hodkinson, 2017: p. 8). Adolescent females are\nusing impression management by being able to carefully choose the images and\ncontent they put forward to others (Boyd, 2007). By doing this, they are\ncommonly conforming to societal standards of appearance, gender and\nsexualisation which has adverse effects on their self-identity and body image\n(Mascheroni et al., 2015; Lupinetti, 2015). As discussed, Instagram promotes\npopularity through the use of likes, comments and follows. This culture of\npopularity and continuous access to peers through Instagram can involve an\ninvestment in likes and a feeling of need for popularity. This can not only\nlead to conformity, but also appearance comparison and self-dissatisfaction\n(Tiggemann et al., 2018). These consequences have been directly linked with\nviewing images on Instagram with a large number of likes, and reportedly being\ninvested in the amount of likes the user or other users are receiving (Lupinetti,\n2015; Tiggemann et al., 2018). As well as the number of likes received, users\nhave also found to be adversely affected by viewing celebrity and peer images\nwhich are conventionally deemed as being attractive (Brown and Tiggemann,\n2018). These findings show no difference between viewing of attractive\ncelebrity or attractive peer images, representing the high importance and power\nof peer culture and the importance of social media in adolescents\u2019 lives (Boyd,\n2007). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instagram\nprovides adolescent females with continuous access to peer culture and an\ninflux of media representing idealised images of a fit and healthy body. As\ndiscussed from the research cited in this paper, increased use of Instagram,\nincluding posting and viewing of these images has been directly connected with\nadverse effects related to body image and self-identity. These have shown to include\nbody image concerns, unauthentic displays of identity, self-dissatisfaction,\nconforming to gendered and sexualised stereotypes, objectification, poor self\nand social comparison and disordered eating. Self-identity has been found\ndifficult to authentically explore and construct when there is pressure to\nconsistently appear \u2018perfect\u2019, which is controlled by impression management and\nrewarded with validation from peers in the form of likes, comments and follows.\nSince its inception in 2010, Instagram has continued to gain popularity with\nthe assistance of technological advances. Due to current trends, Instagram use,\nand the viewing and posting of idealised images of fit and healthy bodies is\nlikely to be sticking around for the time being. The adverse effects relating\nto body image and self-identity are likely to continue to effect female\nadolescents who use Instagram to interact with and post idealised images of fit\nand healthy bodies.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

References<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ahadzadeh, A. S., Sharif, S. P., & Ong, F. S.\n(2017). Self-schema and self-discrepancy mediate the influence of Instagram\nusage on body image satisfaction among youth. Computers in Human\nBehavior<\/em>, 68<\/em>, 8-16. Doi: https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.chb.2016.11.011<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brown, Z., & Tiggemann, M. (2016). Attractive\ncelebrity and peer images on Instagram: Effect on women’s mood and body\nimage. Body image<\/em>, 19<\/em>, 37-43. Doi: https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.bodyim.2016.08.007<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cotter, K. (2019). Playing the visibility game: How digital influencers\nand algorithms negotiate influence on Instagram. New Media & Society,\n21(4), 895\u2013913. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1461444818815684<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buckingham, D. (2007). Youth, identity, and\ndigital media<\/em> (p. 216). the MIT Press. Retrieved from: http:\/\/www.oapen.org\/search?identifier=1004001<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fisher S. (1986) Development and structure of the body image. Vol. 1\n& 2. Hillsdale, NJ: Earlbaum. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goffman, Erving. (1959). The\npresentation of self in everyday life. Garden City, N.Y. :Doubleday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hodkinson, P. (2017). Bedrooms and beyond: Youth, identity\nand privacy on social network sites. New Media & Society<\/em>, 19<\/em>(2),\n272-288. Doi: https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1461444815605454<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Holland, G., & Tiggemann, M. (2017). \u201cStrong beats\nskinny every time\u201d: Disordered eating and compulsive exercise in women who post\nfitspiration on Instagram. International Journal of Eating Disorders<\/em>, 50<\/em>(1),\n76-79. Doi: https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/eat.22559<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lupinetti, V. M. (2015). Self-presentation and social\nmedia: A qualitative examination of the use of Instagram by amateur NPC female\nfigure competitors. Retrieved from: https:\/\/scholarworks.sjsu.edu\/cgi\/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https:\/\/scholar.google.com.au\/&httpsredir=1&article=8097&context=etd_theses<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mascheroni, G. Vincent, J. and Jiminez, E. (2015).\n“Girls are addicted to likes so they post semi-nakend selfies”: Peer\nmediation, normativity and the construction of identity online. Cyberpsychology:\nJournal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, 9<\/em>(1), DOI:\n10.5817\/CP2015-1-5<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oxford Dictionaries. Definition of selfie. (2014) www.oxford\ndictionaries.com\/us\/definition\/american_english\/selfie <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reade, J. (2016). The female body on Instagram: Is fit\nthe new it?. Reinvention: An International Journal of Undergraduate\nResearch<\/em>, 9<\/em>(1). Retrieved from: http:\/\/hdl.handle.net\/11343\/58971<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ridgway, J. L., & Clayton, R. B. (2016). Instagram\nunfiltered: Exploring associations of body image satisfaction, Instagram#\nselfie posting, and negative romantic relationship outcomes. Cyberpsychology,\nBehavior, and Social Networking<\/em>, 19<\/em>(1), 2-7. Doi: https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1089\/cyber.2015.0433<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ringrose, J., & Barajas, K. E. (2011). Gendered\nrisks and opportunities? Exploring teen girls’ digitized sexual identities in\npostfeminist media contexts. International Journal of Media &\nCultural Politics<\/em>, 7<\/em>(2), 121-138. Doi: https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1386\/macp.7.2.121_1<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Slater, A., Varsani, N., & Diedrichs, P. C. (2017).\n# fitspo or# loveyourself? The impact of fitspiration and self-compassion\nInstagram images on women\u2019s body image, self-compassion, and mood. Body\nImage<\/em>, 22<\/em>, 87-96. Doi: https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.bodyim.2017.06.004<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tiggemann, M., Hayden, S., Brown, Z. and Veldhuis, J. (2018). The effect\nof Instagram \u201clikes\u201d on women\u2019s social comparison and body dissatisfaction,\nBody Image, Volume 26, Pages 90-97. Doi: https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.bodyim.2018.07.002<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turner, P.G. & Lefevre. (2017). Instagram use is linked to increased symptoms of orthorexia nervosa. C.E. Eat Weight Disord 22: 277. Doi: https:\/\/doi.org.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au\/10.1007\/s40519-017-0364-2<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KAtkinson – Instagram, Identity<\/a>Download<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Abstract This paper presents and discusses research on the process of adolescent females interacting with and posting idealised images of fit and healthy bodies on the social networking site Instagram, and the adverse effects this has on their self-identity and body image. This research finds that Instagram provides adolescent females with continuous access to peer… Continue reading Adverse effects involving body image and self-identity experienced by adolescent females from viewing and posting idealised images of fit and healthy bodies on Instagram.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[26,30,31,17,28,22,9,29,10],"class_list":["post-72","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-identity","tag-body-image","tag-fitspiration","tag-fitspo","tag-identity","tag-instagram","tag-online-identity","tag-presentation-of-self","tag-self-identity","tag-self-presentation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":222,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72\/revisions\/222"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Curtin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}