The impact of COVID-19 lockdown on social network sites use, body image disturbances and self-esteem among adolescent and young women

Helena Vall-Roqué; Ana Andrés; Carmina Saldaña

doi:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110293

The impact of COVID-19 lockdown on social network sites use, body image disturbances and self-esteem among adolescent and young women

Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2021 Aug 30:110:110293. doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110293. Epub 2021 Mar 2.

Authors

Helena Vall-Roqué¹, Ana Andrés², Carmina Saldaña³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona. Passeig Vall d'Hebron, 171, 08035 Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: helena.vall@ub.edu.
² Faculty of Psychology, Education and Sport Sciences, Blanquerna, Ramon Llull University. C. Císter, 34, 08022 Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: anaav2@blanquerna.url.edu.
³ Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona. Passeig Vall d'Hebron, 171, 08035 Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona. Passeig Vall d'Hebron, 171, 08035 Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: csaldana@ub.edu.

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to determine the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on social network sites (SNS) use and to explore whether SNS use is associated with body image disturbances and low self-esteem.

Methods: A total of 2601 women living in Spain aged 14-35 years completed questionnaire measures of SNS use, self-esteem, body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness. In the survey, participants were asked about their use of SNS at the moment of answering the survey and before lockdown.

Results: A statistically significant increase was found in the frequency of use of all studied SNS (Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook) during lockdown, as well as in the number of women following appearance-focused Instagram accounts. Moreover, significant relationships were found between the frequency of Instagram use and body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness and low self-esteem in the younger age group (14-24), and between the frequency of Instagram use and drive for thinness in the older age group (25-35). Following appearance-focused accounts on Instagram was related to body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness in the younger group, and only to drive for thinness in the older group (25-35). Following appearance-focused accounts on Instagram and a higher frequency of use of Instagram significantly predicted higher levels of drive for thinness.

Conclusion: These results suggest that lockdown has had an impact on SNS use, and this might be linked to increased drive for thinness and eating disorder risk among adolescent and young women.

Keywords: Body image; COVID-19; Eating disorders; Self-esteem; Social networks.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Body Dysmorphic Disorders / epidemiology
Body Dysmorphic Disorders / etiology*
Body Dysmorphic Disorders / psychology
COVID-19 / epidemiology
COVID-19 / psychology*
Communicable Disease Control
Female
Humans
Self Concept*
Social Media / statistics & numerical data*
Spain / epidemiology
Surveys and Questionnaires
Young Adult