Happy being me: unraveling the effect process of appearance-related social media exposure on body esteem among females with varying levels of trait self-objectification

Previous research on social media’s impact on body esteem has dominantly centered on usage frequency, overlooking the varied effects of different types of social media content on body esteem. Drawing on the tripartite influence model and social comparison theory, this study investigated how varied exposure to appearance-related content on social media predicts body esteem through social comparison. A total of 554 Chinese young females aged between 18 and 29 (M = 21.6, SD = 2.1) participated in an online survey. Results showed that exposure to idealized content was positively associated with upward appearance comparison, leading to decreased body esteem concerning weight and appearance. Exposure to idealized content was also positively linked to downward appearance comparison, reducing body esteem concerning appearance. Exposure to non-idealized content was negatively associated with upward appearance comparison, dampening comparison’s negative influence on body esteem. A multi-group analysis revealed that the effects of exposure to idealized social media content on upward comparison were significantly intensified among females with a high level of trait self-objectification. Implications for shaping a body-positive image on social media among young females were discussed.