Relationship between Social Media and Body Dysmorphia - Meta-analysis

Abstract The current research aimed to study the relationship between social media and body dysmorphia. This paper adopted a systematic review process to synthesize existing studies published in peer-reviewed journals, from the Pub Med and Google Scholar search engines. Social media and body dysmorphia were used as keywords to conduct a systematic search. The inclusion criteria required the study to be quantitative and include sample size and correlation coefficient, which were based on the selection of research articles from 2013–2023. Qualitative studies or articles lacking correlation coefficients were excluded. After refining the articles, 20 studies were exported to Jamovi, using the MAJOR module, and a meta-analysis was carried out. The PRISMA model was used for sample selection to report the study process and findings. The analysis revealed that social media and body dysmorphia were positively related to heterogeneous effect size. The study also revealed that self-objectification, compulsive online behaviour, and body dysmorphia were significantly related. Further research is required for screening assessment techniques, emphasizing the necessity for body image and media literacy initiatives to address the influence of social media.