Navigating the digital mirror: The role of information-seeking orientation and uncertainty tolerance in social media-driven body image anxiety

Abstract

Social trends indicate a growing prevalence of anxiety in the general population, with a notable subset stemming from dissatisfaction with body image. Individuals experiencing body image dissatisfaction are more likely to engage in anxiety-driven unhealthy behaviors. Existing research focuses on the correlation between the combined use of social media and anxiety. Discussions of information seeking and the effects of uncertainty on anxiety have been limited, and related mechanisms and pathways have been neglected. Our study identified information-seeking orientation, which refers to the willingness to seek information as a critical precursor to the dynamic of social media engagement leading to body image anxiety using a national questionnaire research (n = 374). The study also applied the tolerance of uncertainty to the context of social media engagement and body image, demonstrating that individuals with a higher tolerance of uncertainty may experience less anxiety despite higher levels of engagement. We identify tolerance for uncertainty as a new psychological factor in social media engagement leading to body image anxiety.