Body Positivity or Humour Parody? The Role of Instagram Imagery on Body Image

Speaker

• Fabio Fasoli, University of Surrey, School of Psychology, Institute for Sustainability (UK)

Scientific Coordinator: Maria Paola Paladino

Abstract

Instagram users are constantly exposed to different types of images, many of which depict other individuals’ bodies. It is therefore important to understand whether exposure to such images has an impact on viewers’ body image (i.e., body satisfaction and body concerns). In this talk, I will first introduce data examining the interplay between body weight self-perception and images posted on Instagram to identify types of ‘users’. I will then present a few studies focusing on body-positive imagery and showing that exposure to such types of images can have beneficial effects on viewers’ body image. I will however address some complexities. Finally, I will explore the role of humour in the body image discourse, presenting research that compared the effect of body-positive and humour parody imagery on body satisfaction and the willingness to endorse more inclusive representations of human bodies in social media.