1.Introduction

With the advancement of technology and the Internet, today’s society has higher and higher requirements for women’s appearance and figure. Due to the pressure from various societies and media, women can easily fall into a kind of anxiety and worry about their appearance and figure, so for Appearance Anxiety. This problem is becoming more and more common in life, and it has gradually become a problem that plagues women’s mentality, leading to many women’s lacks of self-confidence and even low self-esteem. This study thinks the main reason for this problem is the spread of social media, which exposes many women to a lot of unsubstantiated evaluations and also easily creates anxiety because of other women’s perfection.

Based on research reviews and case analysis, this paper discusses that women’s appearance and body anxiety are strongly influenced by social media communication. The primary goal of this paper is to prove that the proliferation of modern social media can promote women’s body and appearance anxiety. The purpose is to convey that social media should not cause appearance and body anxiety in women, as it makes women feel inferior. This study initially examines social media and body image perception, and then more in-depth research is done using the role and impact of social media., it provides some coping strategies. The main research significance is through the study of “appearance and body anxiety” to understand the problem that social media can hurt women’s mentality by spreading anxiety, lowering the public’s judgment standards of women’s bodies and appearance, and making women okay with their healthy body and accept and love themselves.

2.Social Media and Body Image Perception

2.1.The Current State of “Appearances” on Social Media

Websites and software programs that emphasize collaboration, sharing of material, interaction, and community-based contributions are collectively referred to as social networks. Individuals frequently use social networking to stay in touch with their loved ones. People can also promote products, advertise products, or share their lives on social media. The fact that people produce material on social networks distinguishes it significantly from conventional media. Not only can users see content posted by others, but they can also post their own content for others to see, and they can “like” and comment on others’ posts [1]. Young people have recently developed an obsession with using well-known social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat [2]. include an abundance of desired body information, with men favoring muscular standards (such as abs muscle lines), while women want lean ideals (such as minimal body fat, a thin waist, and low weight) and curvy ideals (such as huge breasts and hips) [2].

Today’s social media is constantly evolving, and more and more posts about appearance and body are published on various social media, such as selfie pictures, beauty videos, or selling products that serve the body. Moreover, these selfies on the Internet are all filtered and retouched. Like the one that’s been trending lately, social media, such as the popular TikTok, Xiaohongshu, and Instagram, are very popular for posting photos or videos of themselves on the internet. In social media, there are also rankings and likes, and people unconsciously compare themselves with others and get into a kind of anxiety. All these streams promote people’s anxiety about their appearance and figure.

2.2.Types of Content That Affect Body Perception

Discuss the type of content that affects body perception; this study believes that it should be caused by photo editing software, videos, and filters. With the constant development of network technology, PS features and filters have become a part of public life. Young people are very familiar with the ability to digitize images.

But back to reality: in front of the mirror or the original camera, without the filter, the beauticians fall into a kind of fear of their own appearance. Not just for themselves many people also post their refined images on social media. Interactive elements on social media platforms, including comments on appearance on pictures uploaded to Instagram, can pose unique threats to one’s self-image. and how much women care about the number of “likes” (favorable responses) on Instagram photos [3]. Female body dissatisfaction, consideration of posting a selfie, and degree of editing before posting a picture were all related to how anxious they were about their own reactions and even those of others to their selfies [3]. Filters were added to each photo. Originally, they only wanted to post their own beautiful photos on social media, but that is also invisible. Spread fear. Because the people on each post have perfect skin, super good body proportions, are very thin, and have long legs.

In today’s digital age, the prevalence of image-enhancing tools has given individuals the means to alter their appearance. As a result, many people have become increasingly reliant on these tools to present an idealized version of themselves, ultimately creating a disconnect from reality as they immerse themselves in the virtual world. This growing reliance on image manipulation can have a significant impact on a person’s view of themselves and self-worth, leading to feelings of dissatisfaction and anxiety about their physical appearance.

2.3.Examples: Marketing on the “Perfect Body and Face”

Not only can social media videos and photographs make people anxious, but many of the advertisements therein also feed worry. To increase sales, many apparel and cosmetic products use advertising marketing techniques.

For instance, clothing businesses like to select models who are slim to create a mood that complements the outfit. Models frequently have the belief that although “thinness” offers for sale, “fatness” does not. “The data have consistently shown that if you put a beautiful skinny female on the front cover of a magazine, you will sell more copies,” claims the representative of the modeling company that represents well-known models Claudia Schiffer and Naomi Campbell. At the end of the day, it’s an organization, and these types of models do sell the goods [4]. Although not everyone has a figure like that, and when they buy clothes, they discover that there is no model impact, it is easy to slip into a kind of self-doubt that they are not good enough to handle this kind of clothing. As a result, such marketing techniques will cause customers to feel intense anxiety.

Recently, there has been very popular clothing brand, Brandy Melville. The “harsh” attitude that the BM style has toward women’s bodies has generated a lot of discussion on the appropriateness of this fashion trend. There was a lot of debate over a picture of a BM girl’s height and weight that was discovered online. The maximum weight that women of various heights can wear when donning BM clothing is displayed on the “BM Girl ‘Height and Weight chart.” [5]

Table 1: Standard height and weight control parameters under the BM concept [5].

Many cosmetic products now choose to use celebrities with beautiful and flawless looks as spokespersons in order to boost sales. For instance, the lipstick advertising is the most prominent. Ju Jingyi is the spokesmodel for the well-known Chinese brand into you; Dior’s model for lipsticks is Jisoo and Angle Baby; And L’Oreal Paris’s model is Kendall Jenner. With the exception of a small number of black individuals, almost all of them are Asian or Caucasian, and all have pale complexion and beautiful facial characteristics. They have control over different lipstick shades and can create the illusion that “Everyone is suitable for you” for customers. However, the reality is that most people find it challenging to regulate every color.

On several social media, I have recently discovered comments from numerous internet users, nevertheless. They have the mindset that they are not as good as those models; thus they do not buy because they think that these attractive celebrities cannot really provide customers with an intuitive experience. They will eventually cause worry and chase. For instance, the “white, young, and thin” aesthetic that businesses promote will make female consumers more self-conscious, which will lead to increased spending intention and propensity [6].

3.The Role and Impact of Social Media

3.1.The Role of KOL in Shaping Beauty Standards

Simply put, an influencer is someone who has enough clout to use social media to promote something (like a consumer product) in order to spark interest in it. At the same time, he excels at highlighting the positive effects of businesses. For the majority, influencers are a key component of a core strategy that drives awareness, traffic, and traffic on social media [7].

The most obvious example is some movie and television stars. Celebrities are often social media influencers; they have a good body and good looks. Therefore, the content published by their accounts will usually be in the recommendation of the homepage and have high traffic. There are usually a lot of ads find them to promote. For women, it’s a small face, big eyes, a full body, and long legs. Social media communicators have gradually transferred the beauty perceptions of the entire social media audience to these characteristics, and the concept is known as “Internet celebrity.” More and more people are trying to imitate or learn so that they become like this; many people meet this beauty standard, plastic surgery or through various ways to become like this, but how is this standard set? In fact, there is no specific basis, but these social platform influencers have a lot of likes and favorites, followers, people, and the underlying definition of beauty standards.

3.2.Social Media Comparison and Competition

With the occurrence of this social phenomenon, more and more young people will see many “perfect” women through social media. In addition to falling into anxiety, a comparative culture will also be produced. According to the hypothesis, people who participate in the Self-assessment by Comparison with Similar Others (e.g., peers) [7]. According to a comparison of social media, people can gain data to assess their own skills and traits, allowing them to create a reliable and accurate self-portrait. Festinger believed that social comparison is thought to be connected to someone’s upward orientation. We refer to this as drivability. When people compare themselves to society, they can do more than just try to examine or analyze who they are; they might also feel pressure to advance. The impulse to compare oneself to others who are similar will drive upward motivation, which in turn drives personal advancement [7].

This study thinks the reason for this comparison of culture is some function of social media. In social media, youth users post text, photos, and Videos, sharing of web content, and private messaging and “like” remarks between users. Offline networks and media are increasingly frequently integrated and connect with one another. Additionally, users can now read and add comments on social media platforms, providing information. The competitive spirit is growing stronger. Although comparison is an intangible concept, the online world promotes frequent comparison with others and self-expression in the same age range. However, persons from various age groups can also be compared to one another, especially. People who use social media frequently want to feel unique and stand out from the crowd, so they always compare other people’s videos based on likes, comments, and even the number of views. As a result, they will work to improve their appearance. They will feel dissatisfied with their appearance, and if improving their appearance does not bring an increase in likes or followers, they will become dissatisfied with their appearance and feel that their body and appearance are poor and inferior to those of others, which will cause them to experience anxiety once more.

In addition to trying to compare yourself to others’ looks or likes, this competition can have an impact on self-esteem. A person’s perception of themselves, whether positive or negative or how much they feel they are capable and deserving of respect, is known as their self-esteem [8]. Self-esteem supports a variety of social and existential objectives, such as acceptability in communities and finding meaning in life, according to Heatherton and Wyland. Notably, self-esteem can be viewed as both a variable condition that is responsive to everyday events and settings and a mainly stable attribute that grows through time [8]. Young people are in a competitive state that is a form of upward social comparison. Everyone aspires to look better than others, to be in better shape, or to receive more likes. Social media, in this scenario, must, therefore, instill a strong sense of competition in people. It’s challenging to be content when there are always more “perfect” people out there. Long-term participation in this competition may cause you to develop a strong sense of concern about your appearance and physique, as well as self-doubt and low self-esteem. This will cause a significant blow to your self-esteem. According to some earlier studies, frequent Facebook use is linked to increased depression and decreased well-being. Furthermore, some current study has looked at how Facebook exposure influences one’s sense of self [8]. To date, no study has, however, looked into how social comparison mechanisms might mediate the impact of Facebook use on self-esteem [8].

4.Coping Strategies

4.1.Enhance the Overall Media Literacy

How to define media literacy This study defines media knowledge as “the capacity to locate, analyze, assess, and create messages across an array of situations” in the evolving nature and Uses of the Media.[9].

The proliferation of false rumors on today’s social media in an effort to gain popularity is another very severe issue. For example, the lone tweet from 2013 announcing an “Explosion at the White House” serves as an actual illustration. Even though this story was quickly disproved, tweets about it circulated to millions of users, having a significant influence and precipitating a sharp decline in the stock market in just six minutes. Suppose there had been a mechanism to mark that one tweet as a rumor, such a significant influence would have been prevented or, at the very least, reduced. This case study and numerous other real-world examples demonstrate how the rapid spread of misinformation on social media may have seriously detrimental effects on both individuals and society [10]. Social media clearly lacks a purpose for stirring up public opinion. Social media needs to advance analytical and problem-solving skills to advance creative literacy.

4.2.Obtaining the Ability of Critical Thinking

There will be a lot of misleading information on social media because it is a sizable virtual arena for social communication.

How, therefore, as social media users, can we prevent being misled by false information?

Facts and unbiased data have less influence on public opinion in the post-truth era than do individual beliefs, anecdotes, and accepted viewpoints [11]. When information cannot always be believed, critical thinking serves as the first line of defense by directing a person to hold ideas that are congruent with the information at hand. A convergent perspective of critical thinking as the integration of skills based on the analysis of past theoretical and empirical research [11].

This study contends that social media communications must continually incorporate these competencies. First and foremost, you must be able to think clearly, and resist being easily persuaded by shaky facts. Additionally, you need to be logically capable of considering whether a proposition is plausible and reasonable. Finally, you must maintain composure at all times, avoid panicking over unreliable information, and refrain from spreading it arbitrarily. Instead of just agreeing without question, be able to think critically about doubts.

4.3.Highlight Initiatives and Activities to Promote Self-Acceptance

Mental wellness depends on self-acceptance. So, it’s important to learn self-regulation, and there are ways to help with self-acceptance.

To promote self-acceptance, the author of this study believes that social help is indispensable.

(1) Develop a variety of aesthetic ideas and develop an appreciation for various aesthetics. The current social norm for beauty, which includes features like a melon face, large eyes, a high bridge on the nose, long legs, etc., is a significant contributor to appearance anxiety [12]. As a result, more people should post on social media to promote a variety of aesthetic items rather than just “Internet celebrity beauty.” Diverse aesthetic standards can help people feel less anxious about their looks at a fundamental level of thought, as well as foster an environment that is peaceful, welcoming, and constructively open. Growing levels of acceptance and tolerance can inspire creative thought, advance society as a whole, and advance society as a whole [13].

(2) Social media is used by the administration to foster a good attitude. It takes both internal psychological change in the individual and external environmental modifications to get over appearance anxiety. A solution to this worry can only be offered objectively when both of these modifications are made [13].

This study suggests that governments can take the following steps to help people accept themselves. Firstly, they can restrict social media’s output rate on matters of appearance and physical appearance to lower the general public’s opinion. Besides, they can enact regulations to limit some of the endless themes on social media that may trigger anxiety about one’s appearance. Finally, State-owned and official media outlets should make the most of their considerable clout and authority to actively promote good deeds, correct appearance-related misconceptions, and change the social emphasis. This will empower individuals to appreciate and recognize their own particular beauty by moving beyond an individual’s outward look to their total quality and working to foster inner confidence.

(3) The government could require some apparel or beauty firms to be genuine in their advertising. In order to achieve diversity and give consumers a selection, it is hoped that these items can find models of various heights and weights. Instead of absolutely needing stars, it is possible to choose individuals with various skin tones to evaluate the hue of cosmetic products.

5.Conclusion

In conclusion, this study focuses on how contemporary social media is used to foster female body and appearance worry. It notably highlights that social media is the main contributor to women’s body and appearance anxiety and performs in-depth research using some examples and data, for example, from the specifics of social media use and how people perceive themselves to the function and impact of social media on coping mechanisms.

Social media, in all its forms, has been found to have a substantial impact on the growth of appearance anxiety. Reduce the public’s standards for judging women’s bodies and looks, find a solution to the issue of social media spreading anxiety that harms women’s mindset, and enable women to be content with their healthy bodies, overcome anxiety, and embrace themselves. And the media will become more literate, stop disseminating incorrect information, and allow everyone to live happily in a connected world.

This study also hopes that additional research will be done in the future to demonstrate the different negative effects of social media in propaganda and how it specifically impacts women’s mentality. It is hoped that more studies would assist women in permanently overcoming their difficulties with their faces and bodies because face anxiety and body anxiety are still prevalent.