Editing selfies on social media platforms negatively impacts how users perceive their attractiveness and self-esteem. study published in the journal “BMC Psychology” by researchers at the Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) . Social networks are therefore defined by the use of profiles, embedding in networks and the use of streams. They contain personal attributes that relate to users and allow them to present themselves positively, with some idealizing their selfies and other images.
Vague external appearance
The psychologists found that 81 percent of the profiles were inaccurate in terms of height, weight and age. Many photos or selfies also only partially matched reality, and the more friends and family members knew about the online dating profile, the less so. RUB psychologist Phillip Ozimek and his team analyzed the potential risks using 403 young adults. They filled out an online questionnaire about their social media use.
It was about their image editing behavior, self-perception, physical appearance, self-esteem and other relevant factors. The subjects reported how often they edit their selfies before posting them on social media. To assess self-perception as an object and compare physical appearance, they answered questions about how closely they compared themselves to the appearance of others. Finally, participants' self-esteem was measured.
Influence on the psyche
The researchers emphasize that it is important to consider general social media use and specific behaviors such as photo editing when examining the relationship between social media and mental health. Interventions aimed at reducing excessive social media use or promoting healthier use of social media could have a positive impact on young people's psychological well-being. “Reality is more fleeting than it appears on the surface,” the researchers write. “Depictions are usually not documentaries, but rather parts of a narrative that the social media user wants to present to the public.”
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Source:
Press release
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