Han Nguyen

Impact of social media use on self-esteem and body image

Started May 22, 2024

Abstract or project description

My project is to research the relationship between social media content consumption, particularly on TikTok, and body image/self-esteem issues among Asian and Asian American girls and women. These women face unique challenges shaped by cultural expectations and societal pressures, making them particularly vulnerable to the impact of social media, which often presents narrow beauty standards, leading to comparisons and feelings of inadequacy among users. I will be collecting data using a survey on 20+ participants. They will complete pre-measures with the Body Shape Questionnaire and Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale, alongside rating scales related to attractiveness perceptions and questions about demographics to find out impact of culture on self-perception. Then, they will be exposed to TikTok videos featuring influencers deemed attractive by societal standards. Finally, they will be asked to complete post-measures of the same scales. I hypothesize that there is a negative relationship between social media content consumption and body image/ self-esteem issues on Asian and Asian American teenage girls. With my findings, I want to host workshops aimed at promoting healthier social media habits and bolstering positive body image among teenage girls.