The Impact of Social Media on Women's Self-Image and Self-Representation

Did You PhotoShop Your Facebook Picture? The Impact of Social Media on Self-Representation and Self-Image Pamela B. Rutledge, PhD, MBA Media Psychology Research Center Symposium on Women and Media: Global Perspectives on Promoting Social Change August 14, 2010,

Social Media has changed everything
What we do isn’t new
How we can do it is new
This shift has fundamentally changed the experience of communications
This challenges the validity of our assumptions about the impact of mass media

Mass Media: One to Many

Social Media: Many to Many

Many Types of Social Media
Information searches
Folksonomy
Blogs & microblogs
Wikis
Social Networking

Top 10 Websites Worldwide
Google
Facebook
YouTube
Yahoo!
Windows Live
Baidu.com
Wikipedia
Blogger.com
MSN
Twitter
60% are social media sites

Broadband Access
No longer a relevant indicator of Internet access
95% of people 18-29 years of age own cell phones
59% of Americans go online wirelessly
African Americans and Latinos outpace other groups with 87% using mobile devices for Internet access

Social Networking Explodes
Facebook is a powerful example of the adoptions of social networking sites.
Facebook started in April 2004

Facebook Today
500 Million Active Users
50% log on to Facebook each day
Average user has
130 friends
Connected to 80 community pages, groups and events
Creates 90 pieces of content each month
More than 30 billion pieces of content shared each month.

The Big Question
How has this new environment changed the way we think about ourselves?
Are we becoming savvy media consumers or do we pine for an airbrush?

Social Networking Site: Defining Characteristics
Network boundaries
Profile space
Facilities for uploading content
Ability to form and display connections with individuals and groups
Ability to browse and search
In-network communication

A Whole New World
Information is on-demand and interactive
No more geographical or time constraints
Everyone has a voice
Messages can’t be controlled
No ability to restrict secondary uses
Information can be triangulated
Information is permanent and searchable
Shifting boundaries of public and private

Expectations in the New Environment
Immediacy
Validation
Response
Connection
Authenticity
Transparency
Self-relevance
“ We're tired of fembots. We can handle the truth.”

Celebrating Authenticity French Elle Magazine “ No Make-Up” Issue Jamie Lee Curtis Shares Her Real vs. Retouched Photos

Busting Fakes Ann Taylor, Ralph Lauren, Katie Couric and Redbook

Impact on Self-Image
Most research on body image is pre-Facebook
Studies post-2004 suggest that
Women and girls still have body image concerns
Media literacy isn’t working
Media literacy with celebrities is the least convincing of all
Photos of real women are everywhere

Assumptions
People engage in social comparison
Information is increasingly self-relevant
Authenticity is valued
Social media and interactive technology change the locus of control
Self-efficacy influences global self-image

Pilot Study: Social Media & Body Image
Theoretical:
People engage in social comparison as a normal behavior
Self-efficacy influences global self-image
Environmental:
Information is increasingly on-demand and self-relevant
Authenticity is valued
Social media and interactive technology change the locus of control

Preliminary Results
Hypotheses supported in preliminary data:
Women are more influenced by what their friends looks like than what celebrities and models looks like
Technological competence is positively correlated with positive self-appraisal of appearance

Retouching Profile Photos
85% felt little or no pressure to alter their profile photo
95% felt their photo looked just like them
Technical proficiency was irrelevant to whether or not someone retouched their photo
13% altered their photos
75% altered their photos to
“ Look my best”

Before

Before & After

Summary
Interactive and social media have changed the psychological experiences of communication
The shift from traditional to user-controlled information changes the impact
Individual action through production, control, and choice creates an environment of empowerment
Perceptions of personal competence are more effective in creating global self-esteem
Results indicate that competence can support positive body image

THANK YOU
Pamela B. Rutledge, PhD, MBA
Media Psychology Research Center
http://www.mprcenter.org
Email: prutledge@mprcenter.org
Phone: 949-544-1300

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The Impact of Social Media on Women's Self-Image and Self-Representation

by Pamela Rutledge on Aug 18, 2010

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