The Transformation of Young Women's Body Agency in the Digital Age: A Sociological Explanation of the Mechanisms of Digital Appearance-Editing Tools

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, University of Kashan, Kashan, Iran

Abstract

Background and Aim: This study examined the effect of digital appearance-editing tools on young women's body agency, focusing on the mediating roles of social comparison and self-objectification. The pervasive adoption of image-based social media platforms and digital editing technologies has fundamentally transformed body representation and individuals’ lived experiences of their bodies.
 
Data and Method: A quantitative descriptive-correlational research design was employed. The target population comprised young women aged 18–35 years in Tehran, Iran. Utilizing a multistage cluster random sampling approach, a sample of 350 participants was selected. Data were gathered through a researcher-developed questionnaire and analyzed via Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).
 
Findings: Digital appearance-editing tools exhibited no statistically significant direct effect on body agency (β = −0.09, / p > .05). However, their use significantly increased both social comparison (β = 0.51, p < .001) and self-objectification (β = 0.46, p < .001). In turn, social comparison (β = −0.31, p < .001) and self-objectification (β = −0.49, p < .001) exerted significant negative effects on body agency. Bootstrapping analysis confirmed the mediating role of both variables.
 
Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that digital appearance-editing tools influence body agency exclusively through indirect pathways mediated by social comparison and self-objectification. These results highlight the critical necessity of fostering media literacy and promoting diverse body representations to mitigate the adverse socio-psychological consequences of digital appearance-editing technologies.
 
Key Message: Digital appearance-editing tools do not independently determine bodily agency; rather, their impacts are mediated through socio-cultural mechanisms, specifically social comparison and self-objectification. Consequently, the core issue lies not in the technological artifacts themselves, but in the modes of body representation and the internalizations of normative beauty ideals operating within contemporary social media environments.

Keywords

References

Ahmadi, M., & Molana, Y. (2021). The impact of Instagram on lifestyle: Body image, eating disorders, and fashion (Case study: Women aged 20 to 70 living in Tabriz). Communication Research, 28(107), 161–185. [In Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22082/cr.2021.526506.2160
AkbarzadehJahromi, J., Razavizadeh, N., & Sheikhi, M. (2019). The role of Instagram in women’s body management: A case study of women in Districts 1 and 20 of Tehran. New Media Studies, 5(20), 37–79. [In Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22054/nms.2020.45410.801
Baym, N. K. (2015). Personal connections in the digital age. John Wiley & Sons.
Boyd, D. (2014). It's complicated: The social lives of networked teens. Yale University Press. https://journals.openedition.org/lectures/17628
Crossley, N. (2001). The social body: Habit, identity and desire. Sage.
Fardouly, J., & Vartanian, L. R. (2016). Social media and body image concerns: Current research and future directions. Current Opinion in Psychology, 9, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.09.005
Farahmand, M., & Sharifinia, Z. (2024). Social predictors of girls' self-objectification in sport clubs of Kerman city, Iran. Journal of Social Continuity and Change, 2(2), 287–305. [In Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22034/jscc.2022.18876.1043
Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human Relations, 7(2), 117–140. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872675400700202
Foucault, M. (1977). Discipline and punish: The birth of the prison. Pantheon Books.
Fredrickson, B. L., & Roberts, T. A. (1997). Objectification theory: Toward understanding women's lived experiences and mental health risks. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 21(2), 173–206. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.1997.tb00108.x
Goudarzi, F., & Niazi, M. (2025). The role of Instagram social network in reproducing neoliberal values in Iranian society: A meta-synthesis study. Journal of Social Continuity and Change, 3(2), 563–596. [In Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22034/jscc.2024.21846.1137
Goffman, E. (1959). The presentation of self in everyday life. Penguin Books.
Holland, G., & Tiggemann, M. (2016). A systematic review of the impact of the use of social networking sites on body image and disordered eating outcomes. Body Image, 17, 100–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2016.02.008
Hosseini, M., & Momen, F. (2021). Investigating the relationship between self-compassion and body management in women. Journal of Women Interdisciplinary Researches, 3(1), 23–34. [In Persian]. https://wir.fatemiyehshiraz.ac.ir/article_725868.html
Khanzadeh, M., & Aghamohammadi, S. (2022). Media use and tendency toward cosmetic surgery among young Iranian women: A structural model. Journal of Fundamentals of Mental Health, 25(1), 59–67. [In Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22038/jfmh.2023.22119
Khojir, Y. (2021). The relationship between Instagram use and women’s body management in Tehran. Journal of Strategic Communication Studies, 1(1), 23–38. [In Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22034/rcc.2021.248923
Kleemans, M., Daalmans, S., Carbaat, I., & Anschütz, D. (2018). Picture perfect: The direct effect of manipulated Instagram photos on body image in adolescent girls. Media Psychology, 21(1), 93–110. https://doi.org/10.1080/15213269.2016.1257392
Marwick, A. E. (2013). Status update: Celebrity, publicity, and branding in the social media age. Yale University Press.
Mashayekhi, F., & Sadeghi, A. (2023). Investigating the relationship between use of virtual spaces and body image dissatisfaction among students [Paper presentation]. 7th Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychology, Counseling, Education, and Educational Sciences. [In Persian]. https://civilica.com/doc/1993398
McLean, S. A., Paxton, S. J., & Wertheim, E. H. (2016). The role of media literacy in body dissatisfaction and disordered eating: A systematic review. Body Image, 19, 9–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2016.08.002
Ozimek, P., Lainas, S., Bierhoff, H. W., & Rohmann, E. (2023). How photo editing in social media shapes self-perceived attractiveness and self-esteem via self-objectification and physical appearance comparisons. BMC Psychology, 11(1), Article 99. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-023-01143-0
Perloff, R. M. (2014). Social media effects on young women’s body image concerns: Theoretical perspectives and an agenda for research. Sex Roles, 71(11), 363–377. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-014-0384-6
Ridgway, J. L., & Clayton, R. B. (2016). Instagram unfiltered: Exploring associations of body image satisfaction, Instagram #selfie posting, and negative romantic relationship outcomes. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 19(1), 2–7. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2015.0433
Ringrose, J., & Harvey, L. (2015). Boobs, back-off, six packs and bits: Mediated body parts, gendered reward, and sexual shame in teens' sexting images. Continuum, 29(2), 205–217. https://doi.org/10.1080/10304312.2015.1022952
Ryding, F. C., & Kuss, D. J. (2020). The use of social networking sites, body image dissatisfaction, and body dysmorphic disorder: A systematic review of psychological research. Psychology of Popular Media, 9(4), 493–510. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000264
Saiphoo, A. N., & Vahedi, Z. (2019). A meta-analytic review of the relationship between social media use and body image disturbance. Computers in Human Behavior, 101, 259–275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2019.07.028
Salmani, F., Kiani, M., Akbari Borang, M., & Talebzadeh Shoushtari, L. (2023). The role of students’ body image at Birjand University in Instagram use. Human Information Interaction, 10(2), 58–74. [In Persian]. https://www.noormags.ir/view/fa/articlepage/2102989
Senft, T. M. (2008). Camgirls: Celebrity and community in the age of social networks. Peter Lang.
Shilling, C. (2017). Body pedagogics: Embodiment, cognition and cultural transmission. Sociology, 51(6), 1205–1221. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038038516641868
Sohrabzadeh, M., Niazi, M., Nezhadi, A., & Afra, H. (2019). Virtual social networks and the formation of women’s mental body image. Woman and Society, 10(2), 217–240. [In Persian]. https://jzvj.marvdasht.iau.ir/article_3567.html
Tiggemann, M., & Slater, A. (2013). NetGirls: The Internet, Facebook, and body image concern in adolescent girls. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 46(6), 630–633. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.22141
Tiggemann, M., Anderberg, I., & Brown, Z. (2020). Uploading your best self: Selfie editing and body dissatisfaction. Body Image, 33, 175–182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2020.03.002
Tiidenberg, K. (2018). What are selfies? In Selfies: Why we love (and hate) them (pp. 1–15). Emerald Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/9781787543577
Vogel, E. A., Rose, J. P., Roberts, L. R., & Eckles, K. (2014). Social comparison, social media, and self-esteem. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 3(4), 206–222. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000047
Walker, C. E., Krumhuber, E. G., Dayan, S., & Furnham, A. (2021). Effects of social media use on desire for cosmetic surgery among young women. Current Psychology, 40(7), 3355–3364. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-019-00282-1
Wills, T. A. (1981). Downward comparison principles in social psychology. Psychological Bulletin, 90(2), 245–271. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.90.2.245
Journal of Social Continuity and Change

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 22 July 2026

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics