1. Sabik, N. J., Justyna, F., & Jessica, M. (2020). When self-worth depends on social media feedback: Associations with psychological well-being. Sex Roles, 82(7-8), 411-421. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-019-01062-8

Social connectedness is essential for human well being and psychological health, however social media, with the goal of connecting us more, has been associated with poorer psychological well being. This study evaluates social media feedback and four physiological aspects – stress, depressive symptoms, resilience, and self kindness. 69% of young adults (probably more now) use social media, most commonly young adults and women. Although only a slightly higher proportion of women than men use social media, women are also more likely to build and maintain social connections on social media. Women face pressure to present their bodies in objectified images – ‘emphasizing performativity of their femininity”  – significant mental health impacts. The “constellation of pressures, messages and images shaping self perceptions have consequences for women’s health behaviors and psychological well being. This journal covers the impacts of social media, the uses for social media, consequences of social media depending on the reliance an individual has on it, and more, but ultimately forms a great basis of what I aim to cover in my research. 

  1. Papageorgiou, A., Fisher, C., & Cross, D. (2022). “Why don’t I look like her?” how adolescent girls view social media and its connection to body image. BMC Women’s Health, 22, 1-13. doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-022-01845-4

This article focuses specifically on the effects of social media and body image expectations on adolescent girls. I wanted to focus mainly on the effects for teenage girls and young women, because young people are the main demographic that uses social media, so this starts the conversation of where these negative effects may start. 

Adolescence is a critical period of development, and also a time when social media use generally starts. This development period is already packed with pressures on body image and peer approval, and social media exacerbates these anxieties. “Research suggests social media may have a greater influence on their body dissatisfaction compared to boys”. Objectification theory is explored in this article to better understand being a female in a culture that sexualizes the female body and suggests this leads to self objectification. Adolescent girls may be especially susceptible to self objectification. 

“An increased level of female sexual objectification has been identified through images on social media, where gender inequality is reinforced through the depiction of girls and women as sexually available and objectives”

“the sexualization of females remains pervasive compared to males”

  1. Perloff, R. M. (2014). Social media effects on young women’s body image concerns: Theoretical perspectives and an agenda for research. Sex Roles, 71(11-12), 363-377. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-014-0384-6

This article looks at the influence mass media has on younger females and perceptions/consequences from this exposure. Relating to the last article, the self objectification process is a result of a culture that pushes the objectification of women, and the mass communication of what a female body should look like. The article mentions that ideal body stereotypes start as early as 3 years old. Ultimately with this exposure to objectification, girls start viewing themselves in an observer perspective – leading to more body surveillance, body image disturbance and eventually further issues such as eating disorders, anxiety and depression. 

It is important to note boys and men also are strongly influenced by mass media and body image concerns, however due to the culture of body image pressures and objectification focused predominantly on women it has been used more commonly for research on social media effects. 

  1. Choja, O., PhD., & Nelson, O., PhD. (2016). Psychological violence and the bane of cyber-harassment against women: An experiential inquest on facebook. Gender & Behaviour, 14(3), 7589-7608. Retrieved from https://login.libproxy.scu.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fscholarly-journals%2Fpsychological-violence-bane-cyber-harassment%2Fdocview%2F1876811600%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D13679

Studies have shown women are largely targeted on social media for cyber harassment. This cyber harassment can lead to psychological violence against women, and lead to anxiety, depression and sometimes suicide. The two primary patterns of cyber harassment were abusive words and sexually explicit pictures or videos. In a study with 400 women, 51% indicated that cyber harassment on facebook will negatively impact their self esteem and identity. 

This study will further support the ways we need to evaluate the ways women are unfairly treated on social media platforms, and consequences of this. This also can be related back to real world stereotypes being projected onto social media and in order to address this problem we cannot look only online, but in everyday life as well. 

  1. Mas’udah, S., Razali, A., Sholicha, S. M. A., Febrianto, P. T., & Susanti, E. (2024). Gender-based cyber violence: Forms, impacts, and strategies to protect women victims. Journal of International Women’s Studies, 26(4), 0_1,0_2,1-14. Retrieved from https://login.libproxy.scu.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fscholarly-journals%2Fgender-based-cyber-violence-forms-impacts%2Fdocview%2F3090976241%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D13679

The prevalence of social media and mass communication online has drastically increased Gender Based cyber violence (GBCV). This study reveals the forms of GBCV, impacts on victims, and strategies for protecting victims of GBCV. Various forms of Gender based cyber violence include but are not limited to being sent pornographic videos or links, invited to engage in online prostitution, threatening that personal photos or videos will be shared with the public, being sent images of sexual body parts on social media, and more. What is also very concerning is this cyber violence is generally from ongoing relationships or friendships and usually accompanied with violence victims experience in the real world as well. This includes sexual assault, rape, physical abuse, verbal abuse, and more. 

I think this article is important to weave into my project because it extrapolates the connection between social media / online issues to the real world. Usually social media pressures on women are projections of the real world culture, and this further explains this.

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