This week, I read the article Influence of Appearance-Based Social Media Use on Body Image and Eating Behavior in Young Women by Brown and Tiggemann (2023). The authors examined how frequent exposure to beauty-focused and diet-centered content on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok affects young women’s self-perception and eating habits. Their findings show that repeated appearance-based social media use intensifies body dissatisfaction, increases restrictive eating intentions, and heightens negative mood—especially among women who actively engage in self-presentation behaviors online. The article also highlights how algorithmic reinforcement can create a continuous loop where users are repeatedly exposed to idealized bodies, making comparison almost unavoidable on these platforms.
This article contributes strongly to my documentary project, which explores how social media amplifies body image anxiety and unhealthy food relationships among female college students. It supports my focus on the emotional and behavioral consequences of scrolling through curated content. The concept of self-presentation reinforcement will directly guide my interview design, as I plan to ask participants about how likes, comments, and editing tools shape their eating behavior and self-confidence. It also confirms that TikTok and Instagram are not just passive influences but actively promote ongoing comparison that can lead to disordered eating patterns — an important connection I want to illustrate visually in my opening scenes and interview structure.
Feedback reflection
From the preproduction binder review, I received helpful feedback that I should:
• begin recruiting interview participants as soon as possible
• diversify my interviewees to show a range of experiences
• improve some visual decisions and strengthen lighting/audio setups
• borrow higher-quality equipment from the Klein
• regularly share work-in-progress with others to gain more critique and suppor
Based on this feedback, my next steps include finalizing interviews with at least 3–4 students, scheduling equipment checkout, and continuing conversations with peers and faculty for creative input. I will also test both sit-down interview setups and more natural eating-moment B-roll to refine my visual language. I’m excited to push my project forward with more intentional production planning.
Reference
Brown, Z., & Tiggemann, M. (2023). Influence of appearance-based social media on body dissatisfaction and restrained eating: The role of self-presentation. Body Image, 46, 274–283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.05.009