Scrolling into Self-objectification: Social Media’s Influence on Young Women’s Body Consciousness in Punjab, India

Abstract

The present research scrutinized the association of social media use with self-objectification and dimensions of body consciousness, namely, body surveillance, body shame, and appearance control beliefs, among young adult females in Punjab, India. A group of 180 college students aged between 18 and 25 participated by completing three standardized self-report questionnaires, namely, the Bergen Social Networking Addiction Scale (BSNAS), the Self-Objectification Scale by Noll and Fredrickson (1998), and the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale (OBCS) by McKinley and Hyde (1996). Descriptive statistics (Mean and Standard Deviation) and Pearson’s product-moment correlation were conducted using SPSS. The analysis revealed strong positive correlations between social media use and self-objectification (r = .765, p < .01), as well as with the three components of body consciousness: body surveillance (r = .860, p < .01), body shame (r = .701, p < .01), and appearance control beliefs (r = .793, p < .01)  Results are interpreted through the lens of objectification theory and contemporary media dynamics, underscoring the need for targeted educational and psychological interventions to mitigate the adverse effects of appearance-focused media exposure.