Journal
JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY
Volume 49, Issue 2, Pages 725-736Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1002/jcop.22489
Keywords
body dissatisfaction; body image; media; men; muscularity; social media
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This study used content analysis and thematic analysis to investigate the impact of muscularity-focused identity on social media, finding that very muscular male images attracted predominantly negative feedback from the public, which can influence young men's self-esteem and body image.
This paper describes an innovative approach combining a content analysis of commentary and images on a Facebook page with a thematic analysis of the subjective experience expressed in interviews of those impacted by the text and images. Interview participants were asked about their perceptions of the representation of the muscularity-focused identity on social media, including the specific Facebook page. Content analysis of the Facebook page comments showed that very muscular male images attracted predominantly negative feedback from the public, a trend supported by the interview participants. Thematic analysis of the interviews indicated that a negative social media representation and commentary can affect young men's self-esteem and increase body concern. Some men represented on the Page found it humorous, which could serve as a form of bonding for the muscularity-focused online community. Other young men acknowledged how harmful such negative feedback can be on their self-evaluations and body image, consistent with the sociocultural framework whereby negative representations can lead to increased body dissatisfaction.
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