How Social Media is Shaping Male Body Image and Muscle Dysmorphia

Not just a gym thing- muscle dysmorphia is quietly growing among men, and social media’s ripped bodies might be to blame.

Highlights:

Muscle dysmorphia is linked to frequent viewing of muscular body content, supplements and steroids on social media
The type of content matters more than overall screen time in influencing body image concerns in men
Experts call for better media literacy and preventive strategies to combat harmful body image narratives

Viewing social media content emphasizing muscularity has been linked with muscle dysmorphia in boys and men in Canada and the United States. The study, which was conducted as part of the 2024 Study of Boys and Men, examined data from 1,553 participants and discovered that exposure to certain types of content is associated with an increased risk of muscle dysmorphia.

Bigorexia
Bigorexia or muscle dysmorphia is a mental disorder most commonly seen in the males, wherein the individual is obsessed with his muscle size and has a constant desire to develop very large muscles.

TOP INSIGHT

Did you know?
Muscle dysmorphia is sometimes called “bigorexia”- it’s the opposite of anorexia, where men obsess over not being muscular enough, no matter how built they are. #bigorexia #bodyimagematters #menandmentalhealth #socialmedia #medindia

What is Muscle Dysmorphia?

Muscle dysmorphia, a disorder defined by an intense fixation with perceived lack of muscularity, is sometimes disregarded in talks about body image and social media (). This study investigated the effects of watching three types of social media content: photos of muscular bodies, postings promoting muscle-building nutritional supplements (e.g., whey protein), and content featuring muscle-building medicines (e.g., anabolic-androgenic steroids).

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How Social Media Content Impacts Body Image in Men

"We found strong, positive associations between the frequency of viewing all three types of content and experiencing muscle dysmorphia in the study," says lead author Kyle T. Ganson, Ph.D., MSW, assistant professor at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto. "Most notably, these relationships were maintained after controlling for total time spent on social media. This shows that the type of information viewed, rather than total screen time, has a significant impact on body image concerns in boys and men."

How Social Media Likes and Comments Fuel Muscle Dysmorphia in Young Men
Social media’s emphasis on likes and appearance-based feedback is contributing to muscle dysmorphia and unrealistic body ideals among young men.

Fostering Healthier Relationships With Social Media and Body Image

These authors emphasize the growing necessity to investigate how specific social media material influences body image-related mental health disorders in boys and men. Understanding the impact of muscle-focused media is critical for creating preventive interventions.

"We need to ensure that boys and men engage in media and health literacy to foster healthier relationships with social media and body image," Ganson says.

The authors also advocate for more long-term studies to determine the hazards of viewing muscularity-oriented content.

Reference:

Muscle dysmorphia: current insights - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27536165/)

Source-Medindia

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