High social media use linked to body dissatisfaction among Kiwi adults

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2021-11-15 15:59

New Zealand

What does this mean?

Jump to: MultimediaAttachmentsExpert Reaction

For the first time, a trans-Tasman research team looked at the relationship between how much New Zealand adults use social media and how dissatisfied they are with their bodies. Data was pulled from more than 6200 Kiwis who participated in the NZ Attitudes and Values Survey. All the age groups studied (ranging from 19 to 92 year olds) showed that high social media use significantly predicted higher body dissatisfaction 12 months later, over the course of four years. The researchers say their paper has its limitations and should be replicated, but the findings suggest it may be worthwhile to raise awareness about how to use social media positively across different age groups, not just teens.