Social media and body image in young women: A meta-analysis of experimental studies on video- versus image-based platforms

Social media exposes young women to body-related content that can influence how they perceive their bodies. Given its broad influence, understanding when and how such exposure harms or improves body image is essential for supporting mental health. This meta-analysis synthesized experimental evidence to examine the causal effects of two types of content: body-ideal content promoting beauty standards and body-positive content encouraging acceptance. We also tested whether platform modality (image-based platforms such as Instagram vs. video-based platforms such as TikTok) moderated these effects. The analysis included 20 experimental studies involving 3603 young female participants. Exposure to body-positive content significantly improved body satisfaction (Cohen's d = 0.20, p < .001), whereas exposure to body-ideal content significantly decreased it (Cohen's d = -0.29, p < .001). Notably, video-based platforms intensified the negative effect: TikTok body-ideal content produced larger declines (d = -0.45) than Instagram image body-ideal content (d = -0.25). For body-positive content, effect sizes were similar across platforms (d = 0.21 vs. d = 0.20), although the number of available studies was limited. These findings provide causal evidence for the effects of social media exposure on body image and highlight platform modality as an important moderator. Body-positive content appears promising for digital interventions to promote body satisfaction, while the particularly harmful impact of body-ideal videos underscores the need to reduce exposure to such content in video-based environments.