1. Introduction

As the internet generation, netizens, especially females, are more likely to present themselves in cyberspace and express themselves through photographs, including selfies and photos taken by others. A large number of women are under great pressure as a result of social media, which serves as an important source of external socialization. Currently, the female body displayed on social media represents the ideal appearance of girls, establishing a body template, displaying their good figure, and promoting social competition among girls. For example, some women wear more revealing clothes to intentionally post photos of their good figures on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. However, another part of the female population can actually have a positive impact on the public by displaying themselves on social media. Using social media to show their sports and female identity, international female athletes have challenged these arguments in the literature pertaining to self-representation [1]. The public can take athletes as the standard of health when they display their identity as athletes, showing on social media how they exercise, eat, work, and rest in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Women can now develop self-confidence and establish healthy standards for their physical activity, reshaping feminism into a market-driven endeavor.

It has been found that body image involves both a perceptual and an attitudinal component, which are influenced by social factors [2]. Research on the impact of social media on body image has focused on teens and young adults, as this demographic group accounts for the majority of social media users [3]. In contrast, previous research has only focused on negative body image, rather than progressively investigating deeper issues. The purpose of this study is to fill this gap by discussing the multiple implications of women's body image. Therefore, the research question is to determine what kind of attitude women wish to convey when they post images of themselves on social media. To demonstrate the current situation of women showing themselves on social platforms and reflecting some kinds of spirit, case analysis is the primary method used in this article. In addition, it will combine the existing literature and research for analysis in order to aid in the analysis of cases. The following section provides an overview of why women would like to display their body image, what attitude their body image demonstrates, and the positive and negative effects of showing one's body image.

2. Case Description

Due to the established body template of ideal appearance, social media, which serves as an integral means of external socialization, drastically stresses a myriad of women on body management. Among those who share pictures of their bodies on social media, such as Instagram and Facebook, there are mainly two categories of users, each catering to a different audience whether to please others or to please oneself. 

The female who wishes to please others, particularly men, tends to display her lithe and graceful curves by emphasizing sexy postures, mainly exposing her breasts and buttocks to the audience, attempting to attract attention by merely displaying her “not body”. Kim Kardashian, a well-known online celebrity with more than 5 million followers on Instagram, provides an apt example. As one examines her daily share of pictures, one finds that most feature an uncovered body accompanied by a sexually appealing gesture designed to attract the audience's attention, which indeed meets the demand of males' erotism or male gaze. Among the other examples are Alyssa Kulnani, heather.faber, and lostt_light, which all represent female accounts aiming to satisfy the male gaze demand. According to Harley, the researcher of a relevant study, hot girls become accustomed to having their photos taken constantly. As a result, girls who see these girls being photographed desire to become those girls [4]. Thus, an increasing number of women began displaying their bodies solely for the purpose of promoting their sexual attractiveness. 

Additionally, women who post selfies on social media seem to have a more positive attitude toward their bodies. Women who are in favor of their own body figures tend to display their bodies for the purpose of building up a healthy image, communicating female power, and enhancing feelings of self-confidence and self-esteem. Contrary to male-gaze, some images are tagged with #girlgaze, emphasizing distinct themes: beauty, body positivity, and mental health [5]. Specifically, female athletes on social media are most likely to embody these self-love spirits. A prominent Russian female athlete, Alexandra Vyacheslavovna Trusova, regularly displays her body on Instagram with almost ten million followers. Through the demonstration of her body in tight sportswear during training or competition, she is able to spread the strength and hard-working spirits of women, an image of a healthy body, as well as a sense of respect for oneself. Female athletes are not the only women who can be seen as symbols of self-love through images, other occupations or body types can be viewed as symbols of self-love through images as well. Among the persuasive examples are Naomi Watanabe, a large-size model, and Felicity.

In this paper, an overview of research on social media and body image is provided, organized based on the case study that was employed. In spite of the fact that women's body image on social media encompasses a broad range of different meanings, pleasing others or pleasing themselves is currently the most commonly used definition, so research focusing on these two categories has been of primary interest. It has been observed that many women nowadays use social media to show off their sexuality and attract attention, as illustrated by the apt example of Kim Kardashian in this paper. Moreover, the Russian female sportswoman Alexandra Vyacheslavovna Trusova's case illustrates the contrary, that many other women prefer to share their bodies primarily as a means of self-empowerment.

3. Analysis

In the first place, social media provides a convenient and significant platform for women to express themselves through their bodies, so they are willing to construct such expressions here. Through the new media environment's information resources, expression space, and participation channels, more women and their body display have become visible. As a result of traditional media, body display channels have dwindled, often being limited to magazines, television, and other outlets. However, social media has made it easier for women to express themselves physically in a convenient and multidimensional manner using images and videos on Twitter, Instagram, and other social media channels, which are quickly shared with a wider audience and in more complex situations. 

Women display their bodies on social media for two primary reasons: to please others or to please themselves. There are often external motives behind people-pleasing physical displays, such as making money from some body displays. There is a possibility of gaining more followers through sexy body displays, particularly among men, and it is possible to profit from the traffic these followers generate. Also, women who display their bodies in order to please others also wish to increase their chances of finding a partner. According to Yao, Niu, and Sun, women perform idealized performances on social media in order to gain social aesthetic recognition, especially the aesthetic recognition of the opposite sex, in order to increase their chances of finding a mate [6].

Under the influence of the altering society, women have become increasingly interested in sharing self-oriented body images on social media. Specifically, over the last few years, the status of females has improved dramatically: it is women who have improved their rights and who have become more courageous to speak up for themselves. As a result of this circumstance, some women may choose to propagate feminism through social media by posting pictures of their healthy bodies on the Internet. Apart from societal influences, inner factors also play an important role in determining the motivations for this particular action. Self-pleasing body displays are often based on the idea of empowering oneself and creating a positive image, taking advantage of new media platforms in order to maximize their efficiency in spreading the power of women. As an example, some women post before and after fitness pictures on social media to show their distinction between the two, which not only reflects their physical supervision, but also provides a positive way of identifying themselves as women with self-discipline and health. This process empowers women in terms of production, performance, dissemination, and reception. As a result, they gain a sense of self-esteem, a spiritual motivation for self-love, and the potential to change those around them. Women are able to form a digital self-expression through self-pleasing depictions of their bodies to construct an image of female identity and feminism that is valued by the public through the Internet [7]. 

A majority of women who share their body image on social media are somewhat confident in their looks and figures, hoping to establish themselves as role models for women's body shape and win the public's approval. To maintain their dignity, some women may purposely expose some chubby or exposed body parts in order to attract the attention of men in particular. In light of this, why are men attracted to body expressions? It is clear from the Internet's continued expansion and changes in the social climate that many women, especially those who have reached the appropriate age, are no longer exclusively finding their spouses through real-world dating. In order to attract the people they desire, they openly present themselves on the social platform through physical expression in order to attract attention from people of the males or females. It is also important to note that some women seek to quickly acquire financial gain through the presentation of their bodies. Various physical expressions are used by these ladies to generate income. It has been suggested that she look for investors in order to become a well-known internet star or to engage in serious work, such as modeling, which might be essential for maintaining a healthy physique. The other segment of women generates income by attracting wealthy men to them and selling their bodies, which is the easiest and fastest method to do so.

Women have long been viewed as objects of male desire, objects of power and control, and any depiction of the female body within that society has historically been appropriated in this manner [8]. Nevertheless, some influencers have indicated that posting images of themselves is simply a matter of self-confidence and the desire to express one's self-identity, rather than a means of attracting men's attention. It is also important to note that social media is becoming increasingly diverse, indicating that not only skinny or sexy girls are posting images. Throughout all sorts of different images, viewers realize that in contemporary society, not only the 'perfect' is appreciated. However, with regard to body image issues on social media, the risk of privacy disclosure is very high. The possibility of leaking address information or other seemingly trivial private messages can be decoded from photos when female users post personal pictures online with a wide range of internet surfers, both familiar and unfamiliar, posing a threat to their personal security in such situations. Further, body anxiety is another defect that causes people to feel anxious when they see others who are more beautiful than they are, resulting in a craze for competing with one another who is thinner or more attractive. It is often the case that sarcastic remarks or defamatory remarks will eventually lead to a dramatic decline in women's self-confidence, which has unexpected counterproductive consequences, despite your initial intention to embrace themselves and show self-love.

4. Suggestions

As a convenient and vital platform for women to display their bodies, social media offers advantages that outweigh the disadvantages.

The different ways in which female body images are displayed on social media have contributed to the construction of diversified female body images. In the context of consumerism, some businesses advocate a single aesthetic for their own advantage. The public aesthetic may be governed by the dominant discourse, which requires women to display and express their bodies in a variety of ways. This will help to create diversified female body aesthetics, rather than a single mainstream aesthetic, by allowing women to display their bodies in a natural, rational, and self-pleasing manner. Additionally, in the past, the female body was purposefully constructed and used as a demonstrable label for commoditized items, namely "objectification." The objectification of women may result in them being placed in the passive gaze of men. As a result of some women's reasonable, healthy, and self-pleasing body displays on social media, a positive female image has been created. As a result, the female body has transformed from being an object into an active display subject, which may be used as a means of subverting the concept of female objectification. A further benefit of social media is the possibility of full participation for female users as producers, empowering them to participate fully in production, performance, dissemination, and acceptance. In comparison to the past, women are able to exert more subjective initiative and are entitled to greater freedom of expression through the display of their bodies. Additionally, this increases the sense of responsibility among women and promotes a sense of self-sufficiency and awareness of one's own abilities. Accordingly, women should display their bodies in a reasonable, moderate manner on social media platforms on the basis of the above positive influence.

There is a widely held belief that the exposure of oneself, especially women, to individuals all over the world on social media can prove to be a double-edged sword, with promising merits and drastic defects at the same time. For example, the negative influence of social media on female adolescents’ body esteem has been verified by empirical research [9]. In addition, media exposure is linked with female’s body dissatisfaction [10]. In order to avoid detrimental effects, one means is to improve media literacy, which refers to the ability to choose, question, and evaluate thoughtfully when confronted with a wide range of media information or posting body images online. As a means of improving media literacy, it is suggested that individuals acquire the ability to think independently and critically, and acquire knowledge of how to distinguish the authenticity and quality of various online sources. It is also important to increase awareness of the importance of preserving privacy, given that previous network cheating has become increasingly popular, and body images are highly personal information likely to be misused by others. By refusing to disclose your phone number or identity information in the face of potential internet scrams, such as unexpected telephone calls from strangers, one can prevent phishing from occurring. By simply pondering what body images should be posted and what should be avoided, or by deliberately checking the content of the pictures that will be uploaded in the near future to ensure that no personal information will be disclosed, one can prevent the occurrence of phishing. For further privacy protection, it is advisable to turn off the hidden positioning function in photos, which can be deciphered by special software for detailed positioning, or to limit which categories of browsers can access images of your body. In the context of social media, all the above are strategies to offset the potential harmful effects associated with displaying oneself as much as possible, but the possibility of being affected by negative influences still depends on one's own vigilance.

Three factors should be considered in order to maximize the benefits of body expressiveness. As a first step, we need to use more upbeat names, phrases, and slogans when sharing body images on social media, such as "one month's bodybuilding successes" and "wonderful things to display your body." In addition to being drawn to themes with good energy, the audience often uses them as models for playing their own roles, amplifying their physical advantages, and contributing positively. Secondly, women can learn how to dress to emphasize their physical advantages, to correct their bodies with clothing that fits their shape, or to conceal physical flaws, so as to maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. It is not uncommon for women to dress differently depending on their body shape and height, for example. A tight jumpsuit or suit may narrow the waist of a pear-shaped woman, emphasizing their hips and breasts while enhancing their attractiveness. Although slightly overweight women can accentuate the benefits of body expression by pairing tight pants with oversized clothing. As a final point, ladies may use a variety of stances when posting their poses on social media websites. Girls who are petite may be able to make their bodies appear small and adorable by striking attractive poses and wearing adorable clothing. Physically attractive women who are somewhat tall may adopt various attractive poses to emphasize their advantages.

5. Conclusions

In the contemporary society, it is women, including mostly two types, that are more willing to display their bodies on social media, which in turn reveals several associated societal factors, such as male-gaze and the status of women. During our investigation, we found out that both females who aim at self-empowerment and those who cater to male tend to display their bodies on account of specific reasons that are deliberately discussed in the above content, with comparatively more merits than defects. Eventually, after searching for relevant data and previous analysis in detail, we put forward several practical suggestions regarding how to maximize benefits for women who are fond of displaying their bodies on social media in an attempt to solve this issue.

This research paper, targeted to explore the expression ways of female body in the contemporary cyberspace, bridges the gap between previous studies on this associated topic and current situation, enriching research in this field. Admittedly, predecessors have already studied about this societal phenomenon, but the exposition and demonstration are not comprehensive with indeed several deficiencies. Searching for all-round sources and integrating the collected data, we hope to offset the vacancy in academic aspects, and more significant, to offer our targeted audience, women who are in favor of posting body images online, some relatively comprehensive solutions and advice on how to display their healthy bodies safely and accurately on social media to avoid possible detrimental impact and at the same time propaganda positive feminine thoughts.

Our results provide that both muscular and thin body ideals are communicated from girls’ body images, in part via social media. However, it is important to acknowledge this study’s limitations. A primary limitation of our findings is the study presented here was implemented as an online study and no correlational study has been done with a lab-based approach, with this we can only examine a limited number of accounts which means there may be other kinds of body presents exist. Future research should adapt more on social media.