Appearance-Related Social Media Use, Social Physique Anxiety, and Body Esteem Among Young Adults: The Role of social Media Usage and Sociodemographic Factors

The Body image is one of the defining attributes of young adults. This study explores how appearance-related social media consciousness, social physique anxiety, and body esteem are connected in young adults, considering social media use duration and anxiety's mediating effects. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The participants were a purposive sample of 250 individuals in their young adulthood, aged 18–25 years (M = 21.8, SD = 2.1). Participants completed standardized measures, including the Appearance-Related Social Media Consciousness Scale, Social Physique Anxiety Scale, and Body Esteem Scale, together with demographic and social media use information. Correlational analyses revealed that ASMC was positively associated with SPA (r = .52, p < .01) and negatively associated with body esteem (r = –.45, p < .01). SPA was negatively correlated with body esteem (r = –.62, p < .01). Duration of social media use was positively related to SPA (r = .40, p < .01) and negatively associated with body esteem (r = –.30, p < .01). Hierarchical regression showed that demographic factors (family system and socioeconomic status), ASMC, use duration of social media, and SPA together explained 47% of the variance in body-esteem (β = –.44, p < .001). Analysis revealed that frequent social media use intensifies the negative impact of appearance-focused social media consciousness (ASMC) on body esteem. Social physique anxiety (SPA) partially mediates this relationship. Ultimately, both times spent online and heightened appearance awareness significantly affect young adults’ body esteem, with SPA being a key underlying factor in this process.