Social media exposure and appearance anxiety: A chain mediation model moderated by physical activity

Appearance anxiety is increasingly prevalent among young people in the context of social media use, but the sequential psychological processes involved and the role of physical activity intensity remain unclear. A cross-sectional survey of young social media users ( N = 593) examined a moderated serial mediation model using Hayes' PROCESS (v3.5.3) Model 92 with 5000 bootstrap resamples and 95% confidence intervals, with effects probed at the mean and ± 1 standard deviation of physical activity intensity. Social media exposure was positively correlated with appearance anxiety, ideal beauty, and self-objectification. The indirect association via ideal beauty was statistically reliable at low, moderate, and high physical activity intensity and was larger at higher intensity. In contrast, the indirect association via self-objectification and the serial indirect association were observed at moderate and high intensity but not at low intensity. Physical activity intensity was associated with a weaker direct social media exposure–appearance anxiety link but a stronger self-objectification–appearance anxiety link, and moderation of the ideal beauty–appearance anxiety path was not supported. These findings indicate pathway-specific moderation and may help inform interventions that integrate media literacy with appropriately designed physical activity while considering exercise contexts that heighten appearance salience. • Tests a moderated serial mediation model linking social media exposure to appearance anxiety. • Identifies ideal beauty and self-objectification as sequential mediators. • Activity intensity moderates paths, weakening exposure anxiety links and strengthening self objectification anxiety links. • Indirect effects via self objectification appear at moderate and high activity intensity, informing targeted intervention.