IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER EXPOSURE ON SOCIAL APPEARANCE ANXIETY, BODY IMAGE SATISFACTION, AND LIFE SATISFACTION AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Abstract

The current study investigated the associations among social media influencer exposure, social appearance anxiety, body image satisfaction, and life satisfaction in college and university students. A correlational research design was adopted, and data were gathered through a survey approach. The sample comprised 200 young adults, with 46 males and 154 females, aged 16 to 30 years, recruited from colleges and universities. The primary aim of the research was to evaluate the relationships among social media influencer exposure, social appearance anxiety, body image satisfaction, and life satisfaction. Data collection relied on the Social Media Influencer Rating Scale, the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale, the Body Image Satisfaction Rating Scale, and the Life Satisfaction Rating Scale. Pearson product-moment correlation was used to test the relationships among the study variables. The results indicated a significant positive relationship between social media influencer exposure and social appearance anxiety among college and university students. In addition, social media influencer exposure was significantly and negatively associated with both life satisfaction and body image satisfaction. Social appearance anxiety was also significantly and negatively related to life satisfaction and body image satisfaction. Moreover, body image satisfaction demonstrated a significant positive relationship with life satisfaction. Overall, these findings imply that greater exposure to social media influencers may be linked to higher social appearance anxiety, lower body image satisfaction, and decreased life satisfaction among students.