What We Watch on Social Media Makes an Impact

Prior research has demonstrated that certain social media content consumed can create unrealistic expectations of themselves; however, some hypothesize that social media provides empowering and supportive spaces. Unfortunately, many studies rely on cross-sectional data, limiting the ability to infer causality. This study looked at one of the most-used social media platforms by teens in the United States, TikTok. For this study, it was predicted that viewing “body check” videos would negatively affect body image. If significant, we could try and restrict those videos from being posted. The findings supported the hypothesis, but not significantly. However, there were quite a few limitations, with the number of participants being the main one. The participants were recruited college students.