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- Title
Longitudinal association between problematic social media use and body image in a representative sample of young adults.
- Authors
KORONCZAI, BEATRIX; KÖKÖNYEI, GYÖNGYI; PAKSI, BORBÁLA; DEMETROVICS, ZSOLT
- Abstract
Background and aim: In the literature, the association between problematic social media use (PSMU) and negative body image is well-established, although these results are based exclusively on cross-sectional studies. In our 3-year longitudinal study, we aimed to investigate the association between PSMU and body image over time. Methods: In the first three waves (2019, 2020, 2021) of the Budapest Longitudinal Study (www.bls2018.hu), we collected representative data from 2563 Hungarian young adults (born between 1984 and 2000) living in Budapest. We used multidimensional longitudinal weighting to correct sample attrition. The statistical analysis was performed on the sample of the respondents who participated in all the three waves and were social media users (N=2196). The current analysis is based on the data from four items of the Body Attitude Test and the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale. A cross-lagged panel model was applied in the case of both genders, separately, to test whether a change in one variable was related to a change in another variable over time. Results: A difference was found in the relationship between body image and PSMU over time across genders. Among females, all the cross-lagged paths were significant, while among males, the negative body image at T1 did not explain PSMU at T2. At the same time, the PSMU at T1 was related to the negative body image at T2 (however, between T2 and T3 the cross-lagged paths were significant among males as well). Conclusions: Overall, our results suggest that the relationship between problematic social media use and negative body image is bidirectional.
- Subjects
BUDAPEST (Hungary); BODY image; YOUNG adults; SOCIAL media; SOCIAL media addiction; ATTITUDE testing
- Publication
Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 2023, Vol 12, p118
- ISSN
2062-5871
- Publication type
Article