Social Media and Body Image: What the Evidence Shows

The relationship between social media and body image has become one of the most actively researched areas in child and adolescent mental health. Internal research from Meta, leaked in 2021, revealed that Instagram made body image issues worse for one in three teenage girls — a finding that sparked widespread concern and regulatory attention. Subsequent independent research has largely supported these findings. A 2025 systematic review published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health analysed over 50 studies and concluded that there is a consistent association between social media use and body dissatisfaction among young people, particularly girls aged 11 to 16. The effect is strongest for appearance-focused platforms and features, including selfie filters, body-editing tools, and algorithmically curated feeds that prioritise appearance-based content. Boys are not immune. Research from the University of the West of England found increasing rates of muscle dysmorphia and steroid curiosity among teenage boys, linked in part to fitness and bodybuilding content promoted by social media algorithms. The rise of male influencers promoting extreme physiques and unregulated supplements is a growing concern. The mechanisms are well understood: social comparison, internalisation of unrealistic appearance ideals, and the sheer volume of appearance-focused content that algorithms serve to young users. However, the research also points to protective factors. Children who use social media actively — creating content, communicating with friends — rather than passively scrolling tend to report better body image outcomes. Parental engagement and media literacy education also make a measurable difference.