ABSTRACT

Since 2019, the online content sharing app TikTok has continued to grow astronomically with users who both create and observe content in the form of videos and photos. The topic of this paper is to address how content with seemingly positive intentions often lead people into spirals of body related issues including body dysmorphia, disordered eating and increased anxiety and depression by those effected most. Many of these issues stem from videos of influencers displaying their idealised fitness lives and bodies as well as diets, the use of filters and other appearance changing features and also the added pressure to conform to the ideal standards of the world which are simply unattainable by most.

TikTok’s Influence on Body Image and Self-Perception in the Digital Age

In the age of social media dominance, TikTok has emerged as a formidable force, captivating millions worldwide with its engaging short-form videos and dynamic content. This platform, characterised by its diverse user base and endless stream of creativity, has undeniably reshaped the digital landscape, and transformed the way individuals interact with online content. However, amidst its rapid growth concerns have arisen regarding the profound impact TikTok wields on users’ perceptions of body image. Body image is a term that can be defined as a someone’s personal feelings and opinions about their own physical appearance (Cash, 2002, as cited in Bilal et al., 2021). When referred to as a body dissatisfaction. This relates to a person having negative thoughts and feelings of their body (Stice et al, 1994, as cited in Bilal et al., 2021). With features and trends such as “FitnessTok” and beauty filters, the allure of TikTok lies in its ability to provide users with a platform for self-expression and creativity. Through a vast array of filters, effects, and editing tools, individuals can craft and share content that reflects their personalities and interests. Whether it’s showcasing talents, sharing comedic skits, or discussing social issues, TikTok empowers users to curate their digital identities and connect with a global audience. Yet, beneath the surface of this seemingly boundless creativity lies a darker undercurrent—a pervasive pressure to conform to societal beauty standards. One manifestation of this pressure is evident in the rise of “FitnessTok”, a niche community within TikTok dedicated to health, fitness, and wellness content. A seemingly positive side to TikTok with a darker underlayer. Furthermore, TikTok’s embrace of beauty filters adds another layer to the complex relationship between social media and body image. These digital enhancements allow users to modify their appearance in real-time, altering features such as skin tone, facial symmetry, and eye size. While initially intended as playful tools for creative expression, beauty filters have sparked controversy for their role in perpetuating unrealistic beauty standards and distorting users’ perceptions of self. In addition to promoting unrealistic body standards, TikTok’s influencer culture further exacerbates the pressure to conform. Influential creators often dictate trends and shape users’ perceptions of beauty, perpetuating unrealistic standards and reinforcing the platform’s lack of diversity. Users may feel compelled to emulate their favourite influencers in order to gain recognition and validation, even if it means compromising their own values or sacrificing their mental and physical health in the process. All of these featured combined have drastic effects on the users of these social platforms particularly adolescents still finding their way in the world (Fardouly et al., 2017).

 

 FitnessTok, a niche community within TikTok dedicated to health, fitness, and wellness content, has garnered significant attention for its impact on users’ body image perceptions. On the surface, FitnessTok offers a platform for users to share workout routines, healthy recipes, and motivational content aimed at promoting physical well-being (Pierce, 2022). However, beneath its seemingly positive facade lies a complex landscape fraught with challenges and implications for body image. One of the primary concerns surrounding FitnessTok is the potential for it to perpetuate unrealistic body standards and foster feelings of inadequacy among its users. The platform often showcases highly edited and curated images of fitness influencers with sculpted physiques, leading viewers to compare themselves unfavourably and strive for unattainable ideals. Research has shown that exposure to such content can contribute to body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviours, particularly among impressionable individuals (Perloff, 2014). Furthermore, the emphasis on appearance-centric goals, such as achieving a certain body type or weight loss target, can detract from the holistic concept of health and well-being, reinforcing harmful notions of beauty and worth tied to physical appearance. In addition to promoting unrealistic body standards, FitnessTok can also perpetuate harmful fitness trends and practices that prioritise aesthetics over health. From extreme workout challenges to restrictive diet plans, the platform’s content often glamorises unhealthy behaviours in the pursuit of an idealised physique. This can lead users down a dangerous path of disordered eating habits, overexercising, and negative self-image, as they prioritise external validation and conformity to societal norms over their own well-being (Pierce, 2022). Moreover, the competitive nature of FitnessTok fosters a culture of comparison and perfectionism, where users feel pressured to showcase their progress and achievements, often at the expense of their physical and mental health.

 

In addition to FitnessTok, beauty filters represent another prominent aspect of TikTok’s influence on body image. These digital enhancements, ranging from subtle touch-ups to dramatic transformations, allow users to modify their appearance in real-time, altering features such as skin tone, facial symmetry, and eye size. While initially intended as playful tools for creative expression, beauty filters have sparked controversy for their role in perpetuating unrealistic beauty standards and distorting users’ perceptions of self. One of the most significant implications of beauty filters is their contribution to the normalisation of digitally altered images and the blurring of reality and fantasy. By seamlessly enhancing users’ appearances with just a few taps, these filters create an illusion of perfection that is often unattainable in real life. The introduction of the “bold glamour filter” stirred significant controversy, drawing criticism from users and experts alike (Harriger et al., 2023). These filters can lead to feelings of inadequacy and dissatisfaction as users compare themselves to the flawless images they encounter on TikTok, perpetuating a cycle of self-criticism and negative self-image. Moreover, beauty filters can exacerbate existing insecurities and body dysmorphia among users, as they become increasingly reliant on digital enhancements to feel confident and validated. Research has shown that excessive use of beauty filters can distort individuals’ perceptions of their own appearance, leading to heightened levels of anxiety, depression, and body dissatisfaction. Furthermore, the pressure to conform to filtered beauty ideals can erode authenticity and undermine users’ confidence in their natural appearance, fostering a disconnect between their online persona and real-life self-perception.

 

The pressure to conform to prevailing beauty trends and challenges on TikTok is pervasive and insidious, permeating every aspect of users’ online experiences (Perloff, 2014). In the pursuit of likes, followers, and social validation, individuals often find themselves compelled to adhere to the platform’s unwritten rules of beauty, perpetuating harmful behaviours and practices. TikTok’s algorithm, which rewards content that conforms to conventional beauty standards, exacerbates this pressure, creating a competitive environment where users vie for visibility and recognition. One of the primary drivers of this pressure is the quest for social acceptance and validation. In a culture where online popularity is equated with social status and worth, users may feel compelled to conform to prevailing beauty trends in order to garner likes, comments, and followers. The fear of being overlooked or ostracised can lead individuals to adopt extreme measures to enhance their appearance, from excessive makeup and filters to extreme dieting and cosmetic procedures. This relentless pursuit of external validation can take a toll on users’ mental and emotional well-being, reinforcing harmful beliefs about self-worth and perpetuating a cycle of insecurity and dissatisfaction. Moreover, TikTok’s emphasis on viral challenges and trends further amplifies the pressure to conform. Whether it’s the latest beauty challenge or fitness trend, users are bombarded with a constant stream of content that reinforces narrow beauty ideals and sets unattainable standards. The desire to participate and be seen as “in” or “trendy” can drive individuals to prioritise external validation over their own well-being, leading to a host of negative consequences, including disordered eating, body dysmorphia, and low self-esteem. The pressure to conform on TikTok is also fuelled by the platform’s influencer culture, where influential creators often dictate trends and shape users’ perceptions of beauty. By promoting certain products, lifestyles, and aesthetic ideals, these influencers wield considerable influence over their followers, perpetuating unrealistic beauty standards and reinforcing the pressure to conform. Users may feel compelled to emulate their favourite influencers in order to gain recognition and validation, even if it means compromising their own values or sacrificing their mental and physical health in the process.

 

Despite efforts to promote diversity, TikTok’s content still tends to favour certain body types and beauty ideals, perpetuating a lack of representation that marginalises individuals who do not fit into these narrow standards. While TikTok has made strides in recent years to amplify diverse voices and perspectives, the platform’s algorithmic feed often prioritises content that conforms to conventional beauty norms, relegating marginalised voices to the sidelines and reinforcing existing power dynamics. One of the primary factors contributing to the lack of diversity on TikTok is the platform’s reliance on user-generated content. While this democratised approach to content creation has changed the media landscape, it also perpetuates existing inequalities and biases. Users who conform to mainstream beauty standards are more likely to receive likes, comments, and followers, thereby perpetuating their visibility and influence on the platform. Meanwhile, individuals who deviate from these norms may struggle to gain traction and visibility, further marginalising already underrepresented voices. Moreover, TikTok’s influencer culture exacerbates the lack of diversity by elevating certain creators to celebrity status, while marginalising others who do not fit into mainstream beauty ideals. Influential creators often dictate trends and shape users’ perceptions of beauty, perpetuating unrealistic standards and reinforcing the platform’s lack of diversity. This not only erases the experiences and perspectives of marginalised communities but also perpetuates harmful stereotypes and reinforces existing power dynamics. The lack of diversity on TikTok has significant implications for users’ perceptions of self and others (Bilal et al., 2021). When individuals are bombarded with a narrow range of body types and beauty ideals, they may internalise these messages and develop unrealistic expectations about their own appearance. This can lead to feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, and body dissatisfaction, particularly among individuals who do not conform to mainstream beauty norms.

 

The evidence presented strongly suggests that TikTok exerts significant negative effects on users’ perceptions of body image. Despite its appeal as a platform for creative expression and community engagement, TikTok’s influence on body image is far from benign. The proliferation of FitnessTok and beauty filters, coupled with the platform’s influencer culture and pressure to conform, creates a toxic environment where unrealistic beauty ideals thrive, and self-worth becomes contingent upon external validation. Through the lens of FitnessTok, we have observed how the platform promotes unattainable body standards and fosters feelings of inadequacy among its users. The emphasis on appearance-centric goals and the glamorisation of unhealthy fitness trends perpetuates harmful behaviours and practices, leading individuals down a dangerous path of disordered eating habits and negative self-image. Similarly, the normalisation of beauty filters further distorts users’ perceptions of self, reinforcing the notion that perfection is attainable only through digital enhancement.

Moreover, TikTok’s influencer culture exacerbates these issues by elevating certain creators to celebrity status, while marginalising others who do not fit into mainstream beauty ideals. The pressure to conform to prevailing beauty trends, coupled with the fear of being overlooked or ostracised, drives users to adopt extreme measures to enhance their appearance, compromising their mental and physical well-being in the process (Dion et al. 1990; Fredrickson and Roberts 1997 as cited in Perloff, 2014). In light of these findings, it is imperative that we acknowledge and address the detrimental effects of TikTok on body image. As a society, we must work towards promoting diversity, authenticity, and inclusivity within digital spaces, challenging unrealistic beauty standards, and fostering a culture of self-acceptance and empowerment. By advocating for healthier online environments and encouraging critical media literacy, we can mitigate the negative impact of TikTok and other social media platforms on users’ mental health and well-being.

 

 

 

References

 

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Dion, K. K., Pak, A. W.-P., & Dion, K. L. (1990). Stereotyping Physical Attractiveness. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 21(3), 378–398. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022190213007

 

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Harriger, J. A., Wick, M. R., Sherline, C. M., & Kunz, A. L. (2023). The body positivity movement is not all that positive on TikTok: A content analysis of body positive TikTok videos. Body Image, 46, 256–264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.06.003

 

Perloff, R. M. (2014). Social Media Effects on Young Women’s Body Image Concerns: Theoretical Perspectives and an Agenda for Research. Sex Roles, 71(11-12), 363–377. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-014-0384-6

 

Pierce, Sara, “Alimentary Politics and Algorithms: The Spread of Information about “Healthy” Eating and Diet on TikTok” (2022). Senior Honours Papers / Undergraduate Theses. 40. 
https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/undergrad_etd/40

 

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