Selfie-Posting and Young Adult Women's Restrained Eating: The Role of Commentary on Appearance and Self-Objectification.

Niu, Gengfeng; Sun, Lijun; Liu, Qingqi; Chai, Huanyou; Sun, Xiaojun; Zhou, Zongkui

Considering the prevalence of social networking sites (SNSs) and restrained eating among young adult women, the present study aimed to investigate the association between selfie-posting on an SNS (WeChat Moments, the most widely used SNS in China) and self-objectification among Chinese young adult women as well as the mediating effects of commentary on appearance and self-objectification from the perspective of self-perception theory and objectification theory. A sample of 886 female undergraduate students who had an active WeChat Moments account were recruited voluntarily to complete questionnaires on selfie-posting on SNS, general SNS use, commentary on appearance on SNSs, self-objectification, and restrained eating. The results indicated that after controlling for general SNS use, age, and BMI, selfie-posting on a SNS was positively associated with restrained eating. Commentary on appearance and self-objectification mediated this association, which contained three mediating paths: the separate mediating effects of commentary on appearance and self-objectification and the serial mediating effect of commentary on appearance and self-objectification. These results indicate that selfie-posting and commentary on appearance on a SNS rather than general SNS use are risk factors accounting for restrained eating, which has theoretical and practical implications in terms of SNS use and restrained eating.

ONLINE social networks; SELFIES; FOOD habits; YOUNG women; SELF-perception in women; UNDERGRADUATES

Sex Roles, 2020, Vol 82, Issue 3/4, p232

0360-0025

Academic Journal

10.1007/s11199-019-01045-9