Influence of Social Networking Sites on Body Image Dissatisfaction, Self Esteem and Other Co- Morbidities A Systematic Review of Psychological Research

Purpose: With the quickly rising popularity of social media within the past decade, researchers have started to investigate the relationship between social media use and various psychological wellbeing variables. Given social media’s similarity to traditional media, and the unique types of social comparisons that may occur on these platforms, body image has been a variable of interest. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the available literature on Body Image to provide a qualitative review of cross sectional research on this topic to provide clarification on the relationship between social media use, body image and selfesteem. Design/Methodology/Approach: The following databases were searched for empirical investigations of social media use, body image and self-esteem: Google scholar, Academia, Research Gate, PubMed and Web of Science. Constructs pertaining to social media platforms and their use, as well as the various components of body image and self-esteem were captured through keywords and the appropriate Boolean terms. In adherence to the PRISMA guidelines articles obtained through the database searches were first screened based on their titles, then abstracts, and then finally while considering the entire journal article. Findings/Result:A mixed-model analysis of the literature indicates a small, positive, and significant relationship between social media use and body image disturbance. Type of social media use, body image dimension, country grouping, age, and ethnicity were all found to be significant moderators of this relationship. Originality/Value: Strengths and limitations of this, literature review as well as future directions for this line of research are discussed. Paper Type: Systematic Review of Literature.