#gotmuscles? Instagram and Body Image in College Men
Keywords:
Social media, Instagram, male body image, drive for muscularity, male body satisfaction, objectificationAbstract
Abstract
The exploratory study investigated the immediate effect of exposure of ideal male bodies on Instagram on state body satisfaction, drive for muscularity, and body comparison in male college students. Male college students were exposed to real Instagram accounts that included either images of the male mesomorphic ideal or neutral images. State Body Satisfaction was measured before and immediately after using computer based visual analogue scales. After exposure, participants completed social comparison and drive for muscularity measures. Exposure to muscular-ideal images on Instagram led to lower appearance satisfaction, weight satisfaction, and more social comparison compared to the neutral images. The novel and interesting findings from this study provide preliminary evidence for the negative role of social media images, specifically via Instagram, on men’s body image and social comparison.
