Investigating the relation between social media, dating app use and body image dimensions: A cross-country study

Abstract

Objectives: Social media emphasize appearance ideals, and their use may be associated with body dissatisfaction. To date, however, data on the relationships specific to certain platforms such as dating apps are scarce, as are cross-country comparisons and studies including men. Thus, this study examined the relationship between social media and dating app use and body image among young adults across eight countries and considered gender and country as potential moderators. Methods: A sample of 5933 young adults (mean age = 21.54 years; 67.6% female) from Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Italy, Japan, Spain and the United States completed an online survey. Mixed-effects regression models te..