Digital Dissonance: Social Media and Mental Health

Abstract

Alongside the growing presence of social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok among adolescents and young adults (Charmaraman et al., 2021), concerns have arisen from people worried about their impact on body image and mental health. This narrative review addresses those concerns, examining how digital dissonance negatively impacts their body image and contributes to lower self-esteem in people in the U.S., ranging in age from ten to thirty-five. We identified key issues in the subject, such as the links between an increase in self-comparisons, setting unrealistic body standards, and increased risk for body dysmorphia with social media use, by reviewing seventy-six different sources online and through our self-conducted survey. Furthermore, the role played by social media influencers and the commonality of people posting heavily edited photos alongside users drawing self-comparisons is highlighted as a critical part of the overall issue, as supported by multiple sources such as Charmaraman et al. (2021), Franzoi et al. (2023), and Wick et al. (2023). These effects were found to be more prevalent in female social media users and people who possess perfectionistic characteristics or tendencies. In summary, the findings shine light on the immense significance of the increase in digital literacy and mental health interventions needed to combat the issue of social media users’ inability to recognize and resist the pressures being amplified through online aesthetics.