Caroline Cupar | 2026 I.S. Symposium
Name: Caroline Cupar
Title: How The Amount of Time Spent on Social Media, The Type of Platform Used, and The Activities Performed Online Influence Body Dissatisfaction among U.S. Young Adults Aged 18–25, and Whether Gender Moderates these Effects
Major: Psychology
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Advisor: Michael Casey
Research has shown that social media has become a major influence in shaping how young adults perceive themselves, particularly in relation to body image, suggesting that time spent online, platform type, and online activities may play a role in the development of body dissatisfaction. This study investigated how the amount of time spent on social media, the type of platform used, and the activities performed online influence body dissatisfaction among U.S. young adults aged 18–25 years, and whether gender moderates these effects. One hundred and fifteen participants (52 males, 59 females, and 4 intersex individuals) completed measures assessing body dissatisfaction using the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ-34) (Cooper et al., 1987), problematic social media use using an adapted Test for Instagram Addiction (TIA) (D’Souza et al., 2018), and self-reported social media time, platform use, and activities. As predicted, media addiction was significantly and positively associated with body dissatisfaction. Additionally, significant gender differences were found in body dissatisfaction, with females and intersex participants reporting higher dissatisfaction than males. However, total time spent on social media per day was not significantly related to body dissatisfaction, nor were there significant gender differences in media addiction or total time spent online. These findings suggest that problematic engagement with social media, rather than time alone, is more strongly linked to body dissatisfaction, and that gender plays an important role in these associations. The implications of these findings for clinicians and researchers are discussed.
Keywords: Body Image, Social Media, Platform Use, Gender Differences.
Posted in Symposium 2026 on May 1, 2026.
