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Sociala medier har ett inflytande på unga människors mentala hälsa. I Sverige används sociala medier utav cirka 90% av befolkningen. I denna studie undersöks i fokus hur unga, i åldern 18–25 år upplever att deras mentala hälsa påverkas av användningen av sociala medier. Åtta semistrukturerade intervjuer genomförs för att transkribera materialet och en tematisk analys används för att identifiera passande teman. Som resultat identifierades det tre huvudteman: sociala relationer, medverkande personer, och sociala relationer. Sociala relationer framstod som en positiv faktor medan sociala relationer var förekommande som en negativ effekt eftersom det innebär även jämförelser internt. Unga rapporterade att de spenderade mycket tid på dessa plattformar, vilket inte bara påverkar deras dagliga rutiner utan även deras mentala hälsa negativt. Den konstanta uppkopplingen kan leda till stress och ångest. Slutsatsen blev att unga upplevde dels dålig självbild, beroendeframkallande användning, dels sociala gemenskap och omtänksamhet genom bekräftande av sociala relationer.

Lululemon, a leading brand name in the athletic apparel field, has been promoting community building on its official media channels as part of its IDEA concept, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Action. This thesis examines the visual strategies Lululemon employs to advocate for body type inclusivity and diversity on its official Instagram account by using its female Ambassadors representatives. It also explores the audience’s reaction to this promotional activity. We used visual analysis methods and semiology to analyse and interpret the photographs posted in the context of the Ultramarathon event for Women’s Day, 2024 and examine whether and how they incorporated the company’s IDEA concept. We also used netnography to record, analyse, and interpret the comments posted by the followers of the Lululemon account in response to this event. Ambassador models of all origins and sizes were shown in the photographs as dedicated and strong in achieving their goals, deviating from media stereotypes. The comment analysis showed that, while on the whole, the Ultramarathon was regarded in a positive light and was saluted for furthering inclusivity and diversity, Lululemon’s external business practices overshadowed the promoted IDEA concept and reduced its impact. The findings of this study are essential for understanding the strategies brands utilise to promote their products via social impact and how audiences affect the outcome and success of such endeavours.

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This study examines how young women are affected by the body ideals on Instagram. Eight women from a university in the south of Sweden are interviewed. The results are discussed in this qualitative study by using the social comparison theory, sociocultural theory, the gender system and postfeminism. Through the interviews about how the body ideals on Instagram work and are created, the study shows a nuanced picture of how young women are affected by the body ideals that are spread. The study shows that Instagram has a significant impact on the respondents, which leads to an increased pressure and stress in connection with striving for the body ideals. Their perceptions of the idealized body ideal are changing, and striving to achieve this ideal creates strains on their standards. By applying chosen theories of social comparison, gender systems, sociocultural factors and postfeminism, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of how young women navigate and shape their self-images in a digital context. The findings underscore the importance of recognizing and addressing the challenges young women face in terms of body ideals and self-image formation on social media platforms such as Instagram.

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Master of Science / Department of Apparel, Textiles, and Interior Design / Melody LeHew / The purpose of this study was to explore how African American women think and feel about their bodies. Specifically, this study examined how Black women define beauty by means of variables such as body shape, skin complexion, and hair texture; whether African American women ages 18-30 compared themselves to media images; and if so, did comparison to these media images impact African American women’s body satisfaction. In addition, this study explored if African American women felt pressure to adopt beauty standards attributed to the dominant culture, as well as the role of racial identity in forming beauty standards and social comparison behavior. Twelve African American women were interviewed and findings of this exploratory research illustrated that the Black community has different standards than the traditional beauty standards of the U.S. Even though interviewees articulated standards of beauty for women in the Black community, there was a lack of uniformity in how these women felt about their own attractiveness: some identified with the Black beauty standards, while others did not. In addition, opinions varied regarding Black women’s engagement in social comparison behavior and whether it was related to racial identity or body satisfaction. Limitations of study included: how Black women define social comparison behavior and racial identity, self-identification of participants, and the lack of Caucasian women included in this study. However, this research still provided rich data exploring Black women’s perceptions of beauty among other issues within the Black community. Future research is required to better understand influences shaping standards of beauty within this subculture of the United States and recommendations are provided in the last chapter.

Through continuing technological advancement, increased media exposure occurs as consumers are able to obtain access more easily. Various media formats, including video, are a means whereby consumers gather information about the world around them, and continually make comparisons between that information and themselves. Among the information obtained from media channels is how bodies are portrayed in the media. Comparisons between media images of body and self-perceptions of body are particularly prevalent in women. The current study employs the use of eye-tracking to examine how women view other women's body types and areas of the body in video-based advertising. The study also employs self-report measures to further understand how individual body region satisfaction, drive for thinness, and media influence relate. Findings indicate that women, regardless of personal satisfaction, tend to look longer at thin women than plus-sized or average women. Furthermore, media pressures and internalization were found to play a strong role in women's drive for thinness and personal satisfaction, while media as a source of information played no such role.

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