@inproceedings{05a191552ba3484e846a69fafd510966,
title = "Before and after images on social media: the impact on female body dissatisfaction of getting only half the picture",
abstract = "Social media content can negatively influence body esteem in young women through the idealized forms of physical appearance that are portrayed. A recent social media trend has been a growth in posting images depicting side-by-side posed and un-posed photographs showing a natural self-representation alongside an altered version of the same individual. This study investigated the effects of viewing such {\textquoteleft}before and after{\textquoteright} style social media images on young women{\textquoteright}s mood and body dissatisfaction. Participants were 162 young women (aged 17–29 years old) who were randomly allocated to view either 15 idealized ({\textquoteleft}fitspiration{\textquoteright}) images, 15 {\textquoteleft}before and after{\textquoteright} comparison images, or 15 images which depicted the {\textquoteleft}after{\textquoteright} only component of the same images. Results showed that exposure to {\textquoteleft}before and after{\textquoteright} comparison images led to improved mood and reduced body dissatisfaction in young women, compared to when viewing the {\textquoteleft}after{\textquoteright} only component or fitspiration images. Exposure to fitspiration-style images and {\textquoteleft}after{\textquoteright} only images increased body dissatisfaction and negative mood. This study suggests individuals may process and respond to images differently when viewed side-by-side compared to when the {\textquoteleft}after only{\textquoteright} version of the same image is shown on its own. Further research is needed to investigate the threshold of exposure to {\textquoteleft}before and after{\textquoteright} images embedded within social media needed for viewers to experience protective effects for body image.",
keywords = "social media, body dissatisfaction, body image, comparison images, fitspiration, body acceptance",
author = "Mark Turner and Antonia Ray",
year = "2023",
month = jul,
day = "9",
doi = "10.1007/978-3-031-36001-5_18",
language = "English",
isbn = "9783031360008",
series = "Communications in Computer and Information Science ",
publisher = "Springer",
pages = "133–140",
editor = "Constantine Stephanidis and Margherita Antona and Stavroula Ntoa and Gavriel Salvendy",
booktitle = "HCI International 2023 Posters",
note = "25th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, HCII 2023 ; Conference date: 23-07-2023 Through 28-07-2023",
}