title: Selective Self-Presentation and Social Comparison Through Photographs on Social Networking Sites.
abstract: Through social media and camera phones, users enact selective self-presentation as they choose, edit, and post photographs of themselves (such as selfies) to social networking sites for an imagined audience. Photos typically focus on users' physical appearance, which may compound existing sociocultural pressures about body image. We identified users of social networking sites among a nationally representative U.S. sample (N = 1,686) and examined women's and men's photo-related behavior, including posting photos, editing photos, and feelings after engaging in upward and downward social comparison with others' photos on social networking sites. We identified some sex differences: women edited photos more frequently and felt worse after upward social comparison than men. Body image and body comparison tendency mediated these effects.
authors.affiliation: School of Communication, The Ohio State University , Columbus, Ohio.
authors.forename: Jesse
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.affiliation: School of Communication, The Ohio State University , Columbus, Ohio.
authors.forename: Megan A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Vendemia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010781:Photography; D012737:Sex Factors; D061108:Social Media; D060756:Social Networking; D012938:Social Perception; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: body image; objectification theory; selective self-presentation; selfies; social comparison; social media; social networking sites