"Elementary Students Using SNS Frequently Have Negative Perceptions of Their Bodies"

Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs Paper
"Negative Appearance Perception Increases Risk of Depression and Anxiety"

A study has found that elementary school students who frequently use social networking services (SNS) such as Facebook, KakaoTalk, and Instagram tend to have a negative perception of their own bodies.

According to the analysis of data from the 12th (conducted in 2019) and 13th (conducted in 2020) waves of the Korean Child Panel Survey, published in the recent issue of the Korean Institute for Health and Social Affairs' academic journal Health and Social Welfare Review in the paper titled "The Relationship Between Media Use and Body Self-Image of Elementary School Students Before and After COVID-19" (corresponding author Jeong Ikjung), elementary school students who use SNS frequently had lower "body self-image" scores. Body self-image refers to the perception, evaluation, and attitude toward one's own body and appearance.

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The research team quantified responses to five questions from the Korean Child Panel Survey, such as "I am satisfied with my appearance" and "I am satisfied with my height," with higher scores indicating a more positive body self-image. The analysis focused on upper-grade elementary school children aged 12 to 13, with 1,412 participants in the 12th wave and 1,397 in the 13th wave.

'Relationship-Seeking' Media Users Show Correlation with Body Self-Image

The researchers categorized participants into three types based on their media usage patterns: 'Information-Seeking' who mainly use media for learning and information search, 'Entertainment-Seeking' who use media for games and entertainment, and 'Relationship-Seeking' who primarily use SNS such as Facebook, KakaoTalk, and Instagram. While there was no correlation between the degree of information-seeking or entertainment-seeking media use and body self-image scores, a negative correlation was found between relationship-seeking media use and body self-image. In other words, the more SNS use, the more negatively students perceived their body, including height and appearance, which was statistically confirmed.

When examining by gender and survey period, this negative correlation was observed only in girls before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, and only in boys after the pandemic in 2020. The decrease in physical activity among boys after the COVID-19 outbreak, combined with increased SNS use and a growing societal interest in male appearance, may have influenced this trend.

The paper explains, "In relationship-seeking media (SNS), social grooming activities such as posting photos, sharing, and liking are active, and there is a tendency to idealize certain body types and justify appearance comparisons." It further warns, "During puberty, individuals experience rapid physical changes and tend to be overly conscious of others' views, making them highly susceptible to media influences such as the internet. Negative body self-image during adolescence can lead to problems such as depression, anxiety, and eating disorders."