This week I read the article “Fitspiration and Young Women: The Influence of Idealized Fitness Images on Body Satisfaction and Exercise Motivation” by Robinson, Prichard, and Tiggemann (2017). The authors examine the impact of “fitspiration” content—images of toned bodies, strict diets, and intense workout routines commonly seen on Instagram and other visual platforms—on young women’s psychological well-being. Their experimental study found that brief exposure to fitspiration posts significantly decreased body satisfaction and increased negative mood, while also elevating feelings of guilt around food and appearance. The article argues that although fitspiration is often framed as “healthy motivation,” it still promotes narrow body ideals and reinforces appearance-based self-worth. This work highlights the complex duality of fitness culture online—simultaneously encouraging health while intensifying body monitoring and comparison.

This article contributes strongly to my MA project because much of the harmful content female college students encounter online comes from fitness-related trends disguised as “inspiration.” Platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Xiaohongshu are full of “What I eat in a day,” “clean eating,” and workout comparison videos that mirror the exact patterns described in this study. Robinson et al.’s findings help me frame these seemingly harmless trends as part of a larger ecosystem of appearance pressure and social comparison. Their distinction between health and aesthetic discipline is especially relevant to my documentary, as many of the participants (including myself) struggle with this blurred boundary. This research will support my theoretical grounding and help connect lived experiences with established psychological patterns.

This week was extremely productive for me. I completed my Introduction, Literature Review, and my documentary’s proof of concept, which felt like a major milestone. It was a truly rewarding process, and I can’t believe this is the last blog post of the semester—I did it! As an INFJ (and someone who often struggles with self-doubt), I feel deeply grateful that I chose this class. With the guidance of Dr. Shaw and Professor Laura, I stayed on track and never felt alone in the process. Their support helped me gain clarity, confidence, and a much stronger sense of direction for my project.

Looking ahead to next semester, I hope to continue improving my documentary and refine both my storytelling and production skills. I’m excited, motivated, and ready to keep working hard. Thank you for such a meaningful semester—I truly grew so much.

Reference (APA)

Robinson, L., Prichard, I., & Tiggemann, M. (2017). Shape and weight concern in young women: The impact of fitspiration images on social media. Body Image, 23, 132–138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2017.08.003

This week, I read the article Body Image and Social Media Use Among Emerging Adults: The Mediating Role of Appearance Comparisons by Fardouly and Vartanian (2016). The study examines how social media usage influences body dissatisfaction among young adults through the mechanism of appearance-based social comparison. Using a large sample of college aged participants, the authors found that the frequency of appearance related activities on social media, such as viewing others’ photos and posting selfies was strongly associated with negative body image. Importantly, they argue that it’s not just the amount of time spent online that matters, but the type of engagement. Comparing oneself to others’ highly curated images tends to increase body dissatisfaction and self-objectification, especially for women. The study helps clarify the psychological process behind body image anxiety, showing that internalized beauty ideals are constantly reinforced through interactive online environments.

This article directly supports my documentary project, which explores how social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram contribute to body image pressure and disordered eating among female college students. The concept of “appearance comparison” is central to my project, it helps me interpret both the academic research and the emotional narratives I’m collecting through interviews. The article also reinforces the importance of analyzing not only the media content itself, but also how individuals emotionally respond to it. I plan to incorporate this theoretical framing into my paper’s analysis section and use it to guide my interview questions about self-comparison, confidence, and self-perception online.

This week, I conducted one or two online interviews for my documentary and started collecting initial insights from participants. Hearing their honest stories made me realize how universal this experience is, even across different backgrounds. I plan to film more b-roll footage this weekend to visualize some of the ideas that came up in the interviews, especially moments related to food, reflection, and self-image. Suddenly, the schedule feels much tighter as the semester is moving quickly, but I’m determined to keep up with the pace. I know this project means a lot to me, and I’ll do my best to make steady progress in both the academic and creative parts of it.

Reference
Fardouly, J., & Vartanian, L. R. (2016). Social media and body image concerns: Current research and future directions. Current Opinion in Psychology, 9, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.09.005