Effect of Social Media Consumption on Female Body Image

The purpose of our study is to address the question of whether social media consumption affects body image and eating habits of women in different age groups. We hypothesize that female-identifying individuals in the United States aged 12 to 25 will struggle the most with their body image and report the most eating disorders due to their increased exposure to the media. Given how fast technology is advancing, more and more females will have access to various televisions shows, movies, and social media sites starting at a younger age, exposing them to platforms that could potentially have a significant effect on their self-image and eating habits. Through conducting our research in the form of a survey, the data that we collect will inform both the media industry and female internet users how impactful media representations are on the mindset of growing adolescents. Answering this question is of great importance because it will show adolescent females to be more cautious with how they perceive the media because we believe that idealizing media representations often elicits lower self-esteem or eating disorders.