The relationship between social networking site body talk and college students' physical Activity: The role of upward appearance comparisons and self-compassion

Abstract

With the increasing penetration of social networking sites into daily life, college students are engaging more frequently in body-related expressions and interactions on these platforms, referred to as social networking site body talk. Although previous studies have indicated potential links between social networking sites, body image, and health behaviors, the relationship between social networking sites body talk and physical activity, as well as the underlying mechanisms, remain unclear. Therefore, this study focuses on examining the relationship between social networking sites body talk and physical activity among college students, and tests the mediating role of upward appearance comparison and the moderating role of self-compassion. Empirical analysis was conducted on data collected from 1189 Chinese college students (604 males and 585 females). The results showed that social networking site body talk was significantly and positively associated with physical activity. Further analysis revealed that upward appearance comparison mediated the association between social networking sites body talk and physical activity. Moreover, this mediating effect was moderated by levels of self-compassion, with the mediation being more pronounced among individuals with higher self-compassion. The findings of this study enrich the literature on social media and health behaviors, and have important practical implications for designing interventions aimed at promoting physical activity among college students.