The Impact of Social Media on Anxiety and Body Image Among Young Adults
Abstract: The increasing use of social media has become an important psychological concern among young adults. Excessive and uncontrolled social media use may interfere with emotional well-being, self-perception, and body image. The present study examined the relationship between social media use, anxiety, and body image among young adults. It also investigated whether internalisation of appearance ideals mediated the relationship between social media use and body image dissatisfaction. A quantitative, cross-sectional, correlational research design was adopted. The final eligible sample consisted of 178 young adults aged 18-35 years. Data were collected using the Social Media Engagement Scale (SMES-A), Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2), and Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4 (SATAQ-4). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, Pearson correlation, multiple regression, and mediation analysis using 5,000 bootstrap resamples. Social media use was significantly and positively associated with anxiety (r = .318, p
Keywords: Social media, anxiety, body image, internalisation, young adults, mediation
How to Cite?: Fathima Hanan Abdul Wahid, Dr. Shivam Bhartiya, "The Impact of Social Media on Anxiety and Body Image Among Young Adults", Volume 15 Issue 10, October 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 82-85, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR261001003328, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR261001003328