Is #bodypositivity influential for sexual minority men? An ecological momentary assessment study on the effects of viewing body positivity content on social media

Abstract

Body positivity content on social media refers to content that rejects narrowly defined beauty standards and celebrates body diversity. Previous research has found that viewing body positivity content is associated with more positive body image (e.g., higher body satisfaction). However, no research to date has examined the links between body positivity social media content and body image among sexual minority men. Our primary aim was to determine whether exposure to body positivity was associated with body satisfaction and mood. Our secondary aim was to explore how comparing oneself to body positivity influences body satisfaction and mood. Sexual minority men recruited from Grindr (n = 530; M_age = 33.36) completed a 1-week ecological momentary assessment protocol reporting whether they encountered body positivity content on their own social media feeds and completing self-report measures of state body satisfaction, positive affect and negative affect. Contrary to hypotheses, unique exposure to body positivity had no significant association with body satisfaction, negative affect or positive affect. Furthermore, comparing oneself to body positive content was associated with lower body satisfaction (b = −1.88, p = .002), reduced positive affect (b = −1.85, p = .004), and heightened negative affect (b = 2.21, p = .004). Our findings suggest that while body positivity content on social media may be well-intentioned, it does not improve body image among sexual minority men and could worsen mood and body image. Further research is needed to examine the extent to which body positivity content targeting sexual minority men aligns with academic and lay definitions of body positivity.