Exploring how Instagram addiction is associated with women’s body image and drive for thinness

2022/07/07 by Minsun Lee
Business, Management and Accounting · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification #Eating Disorders and Behaviors #Impact of Technology on Adolescents

paper · doi:10.1080/03623319.2022.2092380

openalex publication_date 2022/07/07 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/25

Abstract

This study integrated social comparison theory and objectification theory to explain how Instagram addiction is associated with young women’s body image and drive for thinness through appearance comparisons and objectification. A sample of 321 young Korean women who currently use Instagram completed a self-administered online questionnaire. The results showed that Instagram addiction is positively associated with a drive for thinness and that this relationship is mediated by appearance comparisons, objectification, and body satisfaction. The findings confirm the usefulness of social comparison and objectification theories for explaining the associations between addictive Instagram use and body image concerns. It also implies that the appearance comparison and objectification process can be detrimental to the body image of young Korean women.

Citations

• Development of a Facebook Addiction Scale
• A power primer.
• A Brief Guide to Structural Equation Modeling
• A Theory of Social Comparison Processes
• The Relations Among Social Media Addiction, Self-Esteem, and Life Satisfaction in University Students
• The Effects of Instagram Use, Social Comparison, and Self-Esteem on Social Anxiety: A Survey Study in Singapore

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