#Bopo or Bounce Back?: Investigating the Impact of Social Media Videos on Postpartum Mothers.

Abstract

In a society where "bounce back" culture (i.e. expectations to return to pre-baby weight) is normalized, and postpartum social media content often features thin-ideal imagery and videos, postpartum mothers are at risk of negative effects from social media exposure. Prior research indicates that exposure to fitspiration (#fitspo) content has adverse effects for postpartum individuals, but there is less evidence established in research of the effects of body positive (#bopo) content. The current online experiment randomly assigned 193 postpartum mothers to see social media videos from either #fitspo, #bopo, or control conditions - offering a comparison of the effects of fitspiration versus body positive content on participants' body image and emotion. Results indicated that mothers who viewed #fitspo videos reported more upward social comparisons, increased state anxiety, and lower body satisfaction, while mothers who viewed #bopo videos reported more downward social comparisons and increased body satisfaction. These findings were moderated by social comparison orientation, with participants who reported higher social comparison orientations exhibiting more extreme effects in both conditions. These high social comparison orientation mothers reported the lowest body satisfaction of any group in the #fitspo condition and the highest body satisfaction of any group in the #bopo condition. The discussion explores how postpartum mothers' use of social media can either benefit or harm their mental health.