The mediating effect of self-esteem, depression and anxiety between satisfaction with body appearance and problematic Internet use

Background and objectives: Given that dissatisfaction with bodily appearance can sometimes lead to the avoidance of personal contacts and the increase of internet use, this study examines this relationship. The direct role of dissatisfaction with bodily appearance along with the possible mediation effects of depression, anxiety and self-esteem were tested. Methods: A total of 694 participants completed an online questionnaire (58.5% male, mean age 21.5 years), containing measures on problematic internet use, depression and anxiety symptoms, self-esteem and satisfaction with body image. Path analyses were used to test direct and indirect effects. Results: Satisfaction with body appearance had a significant negative direct effect on problematic internet use among both sexes. Though, satisfaction with body appearance had a positive effect on self-esteem and negative on anxiety, neither self-esteem nor anxiety had a direct significant effect on problematic internet use. The effect of dissatisfaction with body appearance was mediated via the self-esteem–depression path toward problematic internet use. Conclusions: Dissatisfaction with physical appearance seems to have a significant role in individuals’ immersing themselves in internet use

Appearance-focused Internet Use and the Thin-beauty Ideal

Websites featuring appearance-focused content are a medium for constant appearance comparisons, addiction and pressure to meet existing beauty-ideals. This study investigated a sample of 264 males and females who use appearance-focused websites, with a view to determining the relationship with appearance dissatisfaction and self-worth. Data collection involved posting links to online questionnaires on popular social networking sites. Internet appearance exposure was found to correlate with a greater drive for thinness in females, suggesting that exposure to the thin-ideal body images presented online reinforces women’s desire to achieve the cultural expectations of body shape and weight. Furthermore the study highlighted that internet addiction was associated with a drive for thinness and low self-esteem in both males and females, with differences exhibited in regards to body-esteem. These findings emphasise the need for pathological internet use to be incorporated into media literacy programs and to encourage a critical stance toward current beauty standards

The influence of social media use on body image concerns

Internet-based media and especially social networking sites differ from traditional media in that they al- low individuals to interact with their friends in their networks. Moreover, Internet-based media are easi- ly available on devices such as smartphones or tablets. Previous research has demonstrated that mass media contribute powerfully to an individual’s body dissatisfaction. To date, research on the effects re- lated to exposure to ‘newer’ forms of media, in particular social media on the Internet, is scarce. The purpose of the current study is to review the extant body of research dealing with the influence of social media on body image concerns, especially among adolescents. Adolescents, via the Internet, get access to different kinds of Internet-based media, such as social media (including social networking sites). Our results document the importance of idealized social media models—especially thin-ideal models for girls and muscular-ideal models for boys—in shaping the body perceptions of adolescents. However, the effects of pressure from social media on body image concerns in men need to be further investigated both in clinical and community samples

Internet addiction and functional brain networks: task-related fMRI study

A common brain-related feature of addictions is the altered function of higher-order brain networks. Growing evidence suggests that Internet-related addictions are also associated with breakdown of functional brain networks. Taking into consideration the limited number of studies used in previous studies in Internet addiction (IA), our aim was to investigate the functional correlates of IA in the default mode network (DMN) and in the inhibitory control network (ICN). To observe these relationships, task-related fMRI responses to verbal Stroop and non-verbal Stroop-like tasks were measured in 60 healthy university students. The Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ) was used to assess IA. We found significant deactivations in areas related to the DMN (precuneus, posterior cingulate gyrus) and these areas were negatively correlated with PIUQ during incongruent stimuli. In Stroop task the incongruent_minus_congruent contrast showed positive correlation with PIUQ in areas related to the ICN (left inferior frontal gyrus, left frontal pole, left central opercular, left frontal opercular, left frontal orbital and left insular cortex). Altered DMN might explain some comorbid symptoms and might predict treatment outcomes, while altered ICN may be the reason for having difficulties in stopping and controlling overuse

“What Did You Say to Me?” – Social Feedback, Body Image, & Eating Disorders in Modern Day Society

Eating disorders are one of the most lethal psychological disorders and need further insight into how they are developed. After an extensive literature review, I am proposing that social feedback influences body image, and body image influences eating disorders. It was predicted that there will be a strong, positive correlation between body image (as measured by body dissatisfaction) and eating disorders. It was also predicted that there will be a strong, positive correlation between social feedback and body image. A meta-analysis was conducted to determine the correlation between body image and eating disorders, yielding a moderately strong, positive correlation (ravg = 0.42). This indicates that body image does influence the development of eating disorders. Alternatively, a survey using three different measures, the Body Appreciation Scale, the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, and the Social Feedback Scale, was used to find the correlation between social feedback and body image. Negative social feedback had a strong, positive correlation to body self-image (r = 0.42), whereas positive social feedback had a weak, negative correlation to body self-image (r = –0.07). This indicates that negative social feedback has an impact on body self-image, while positive social feedback does not. Implications of the findings and how they develop treatment plans are discussed below

Problematic Internet Use as a Predictor of Eating Disorders in Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Study

Problematic Internet use (PIU) has begun to be linked to the development of certain eating disorders. This uncontrolled use of the Internet is mainly found in the student population. The purposes of this paper were to determine PIU-related eating disorders in students from a systematic review of the literature and to analyze the incidence of PIU in eating disorders through a meta-analysis of the literature. We used two electronic databases (Web of Science and Scopus) from inception to June 2019. The systematic literature review was based on fixed inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 12 studies were identified (systematic review) and 10 studies for meta-analysis, which included 16,520 students. Di erent eating disorders were associated with PIU: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, food preoccupation, loss of control eating, and dieting. Furthermore, meta-analysis confirmed that PIU is a predictor of eating disorders in students. The groups of students with PIU presented a higher rate in the presence of eating disorders, these di erences being significant. Finally, this study showed empirical evidence on the link between PIU and eating disorders. The need for prevention in childhood and adolescence is highlighted

Cyberbullying among adults with intellectual disabilities: Some preliminary data

[EN]Background. Recent studies show that youth with disabilities are at risk of experiencing cyberbullying. Nevertheless, the nature of this phenomenon among adults with intellectual disabilities has not been investigated. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze the frequency and characteristics of cyberbullying and its correlates in individuals with intellectual disabilities attending training centers for adults with intellectual disabilities. Methods and Procedures. A convenience sample of 269 participants (54.3% men and 35.7% women), aged 18 to 40 years was recruited from Chile (14.1%), Mexico (32%), and Spain (53.9%). Results. The findings showed that 15.2% have been cyberbullied and 8.6% are currently being cyberbullied. Being different was the main reason (97.7%) for being cyberbullied. The behaviors happen in educational settings (46.67%), leisure/free time activities (31.11%), and associations for people with disabilities (15.56%). Verbal aggressions (74.53%) were the most common cyberbullying behaviors. Those who were cyberbullied reported more inadequate use of mobile phone and Internet, as well as more unhealthy behaviors and depressive mood. Conclusions and implications. These findings support the need for further studies on adults with intellectual disabilities, as well as the need for implementing primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention programs

The impact of traditional and social media marketing on customers’ brand trust and purchase intentions in the Turkish airline market

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of customers' attitudes towards traditional and social media marketing on brand trust and purchase intention. Reviewing the extant literature unveiled that the subject of traditional versus social media marketing in the airline market is not sufficiently studied. Thus, we studied the mentioned subject in Turkey because the aviation sector has shown noteworthy improvements due to a significant increasing volume of e-commerce, not only on the passenger side but also on the cargo side as well. On the other hand, thanks to the passenger demand growth since starting the recent century, the Turkish airline industry leads a giant contribution to the enlargement of the global economy due to the increasing number of connections and falling air transport costs. Data was gathered in Istanbul airports from 341 passengers of the airlines of Turkey to compare the impact of traditional and social media marketing on brand trust and purchase intention of customers and analyzed by using structural equation modeling. The findings reveal that in recent years digital marketing and online advertising campaigns has been more effective than traditional marketing for augmenting brand trust and purchase intention of the passengers

The Impact of Adolescent Internet Addiction on Sexual Online Victimization: The Mediating Effects of Sexting and Body Self-Esteem

Adolescents’ problematic use of the internet and the risk of sexual online victimization are an increasing concern among families, researchers, professionals and society. This study aimed to analyze the interplay between adolescents’ addiction to social networks and internet, body self-esteem and sexual–erotic risk behavior online: sexting, sextortion and grooming. While sexting refers to the voluntary engagement in texting sexual–erotic messages, sextortion and grooming are means of sexual–erotic victimization through the use of the internet. Participants were 1763 adolescents (51% girls), aged 12 to 16 years (M = 14.56; SD = 1.16), from public (n = 1068; 60.60%) and private (n = 695; 39.40%) high schools in the Basque Country (Spain). We carried out structural equation modeling (SEM) using Mplus to assess the mediating effects of body self-esteem in the relationship between addiction to social media and internet and sexual–erotic risk behavior. The results showed that internet addiction predicts online sexual victimization; specifically, the best predictors of sexting, sextortion and grooming victimization were symptoms of internet addiction and geek behavior. Body self-esteem and sexting mediated the relationship between internet addiction and sexual online victimization in adolescents. These results highlight the importance of attending to adolescents’ mental health regarding their online behavior, considering the risk and protective factors involved, due to its close association with online sexual victimization.This research was supported by grants from the Department of Education, Universities and Research of the Basque Government (BFI-2012-40)