Examining the Impact of AI-Generated Content on Self-Esteem and Body Image Through Social Comparison
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61506/Keywords:
AI-generated content, self-esteem, body image, social comparison, quantitative study, students, Punjab, psychological well-beingAbstract
This study quantitatively investigates the impact of AI-generated content on self-esteem and body image among students in the Punjab region of Pakistan. Utilizing a structured questionnaire distributed to a sample of 600 students, the research aimed to quantify the effects of AI-generated imagery on self-esteem levels, assess the relationship between exposure to such content and body image satisfaction across demographic groups, and evaluate the role of social comparison as a mediating factor. Employing validated scales such as the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Body Image Scale, and Social Comparison Scale, the study found significant negative correlations between exposure to AI-generated content and both self-esteem and body image satisfaction, with social comparison emerging as a crucial mediator in these relationships. The findings underscore the need for awareness and interventions aimed at mitigating the negative effects of digital media consumption on psychological well-being.
References
Cash, T. F., & Fleming, E. C. (2002). The impact of body image experiences: development of the body image quality of life inventory. International Journal of eating disorders, 31(4), 455-460.
Chauhan, S., & Soni, S. (2024). Relationship between Artificial Intelligence and Attitude along with Creativity and Self Esteem among Students. International Journal of Interdisciplinary Approaches in Psychology, 2(5), 1225-1251.
Dear, K. (2021). Artificial intelligence, security, and society. In The World Information War (pp. 231-255). Routledge.
Elgammal, A. (2017). Can: Creative adversarial networks, generating “art” by learning about styles and deviating from style norms. arXiv preprint arXiv:1706.07068, 6, 2017.
Festinger, L. (1957). Social comparison theory. Selective Exposure Theory, 16(401), 3.
Harrison, K., & Hefner, V. (2006). Media exposure, current and future body ideals, and disordered eating among preadolescent girls: A longitudinal panel study. Journal of youth and Adolescence, 35, 146-156.
Kleemans, M., Daalmans, S., Carbaat, I., & Anschütz, D. (2018). Picture perfect: The direct effect of manipulated Instagram photos on body image in adolescent girls. Media Psychology, 21(1), 93-110.
Levine, M. P., & Murnen, S. K. (2009). “Everybody knows that mass media are/are not [pick one] a cause of eating disorders”: A critical review of evidence for a causal link between media, negative body image, and disordered eating in females. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 28(1), 9-42.
Maes, C., & De Lenne, O. (2022). Filters and fillers: Belgian adolescents’ filter use on social media and the acceptance of cosmetic surgery. Journal of Children and Media, 16(4), 587-605.
Orth, U., Robins, R. W., & Widaman, K. F. (2012). Life-span development of self-esteem and its effects on important life outcomes. Journal of personality and social psychology, 102(6), 1271.
Pellegrino, A. (2024). Social Comparison, Problems of Digital Consumption and Its Implications. In Decoding Digital Consumer Behavior: Bridging Theory and Practice (pp. 113-131). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.
Pellegrino, A. (2024). Social Comparison, Problems of Digital Consumption and Its Implications. In Decoding Digital Consumer Behavior: Bridging Theory and Practice (pp. 113-131). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.
Perloff, R. M. (2014). Social media effects on young women’s body image concerns: Theoretical perspectives and an agenda for research. Sex roles, 71, 363-377.
Rosenberg, M. J. (1965). When dissonance fails: On eliminating evaluation apprehension from attitude measurement. Journal of personality and social psychology, 1(1), 28.
Sands, S., Ferraro, C., Demsar, V., & Chandler, G. (2022). False idols: Unpacking the opportunities and challenges of falsity in the context of virtual influencers. Business Horizons, 65(6), 777-788.
Tiggemann, M., & Slater, A. (2014). NetTweens: The internet and body image concerns in preteenage girls. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 34(5), 606-620.
Tiggemann, M., Anderberg, I., & Brown, Z. (2020). Uploading your best self: Selfie editing and body dissatisfaction. Body image, 33, 175-182.
Vogel, E. A., Rose, J. P., Roberts, L. R., & Eckles, K. (2014). Social comparison, social media, and self-esteem. Psychology of popular media culture, 3(4), 206.
Wilks, C., Ensslin, A., Rice, C., Riley, S., Perram, M., Bailey, K. A., ... & Fowlie, H. (2022). Developing a choice-based digital fiction for body image bibliotherapy. Frontiers in Communication, 6, 786465.
