The Effect Of Selfies On Social Networking Sites Of Female College Students On Self-objectification And Appearance Anxiety

With the booming of smartphones and social networking sites,“selfie” has become a trend.In 2016,China Internet Network Information Center released that more than 48% of users posted photos on social networking sites in User Behavior Research Report.Nowadays,“selfie” has become a popular phenomenon in social networking sites(SNS)and has been a way of life for female college students.Firstly,this study aims to investigate the current situation of female college students’ selfie.What’s more,this study revises the selfie scale to explore the relationship between female college students’ selfie,self-objectification,appearance anxiety,and body esteem.Finally,this study tries to explore whether body esteem can be a protective factor in the adverse effects of selfie.Study1: we revised the scale of female college students’ selfie.Firstly,the original scale was translated from English to Chinese,and the items were appropriately modified on the basis of interviews.Experts were then asked to evaluate the content validity of the scale to form the first draft.Pre-test,formal test and application test were conducted by selecting 300 female students,560 female students and 520 female students respectively.Using SPSS.19 and AMOS.22,we conducted project analysis,EFA,CFA,reliability and validity testing,and finally obtained formal scales.Study2: A sample of 520 female college students from Shanghai was recruited in the present study to complete questionnaires of Revised Female College Students’ Selfie Scale in SNS,Body Surveillance Subscale of the Objectified Body Consciousness Scales,the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale and Body-Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults.We investigated the current state of selfie of female college students on social networking sites,as well as the relationship between selfie,self-objectification,appearance anxiety and body esteem.The main findings of the study are as follows:(1)With good reliability and validity,the Revised Female College Students’ Selfie Scale in SNS can be used as an effective tool to measure female college students’ selfie in SNS.(2)The Revised Female College Students’ Selfie Scale in SNS includes: selfie sharing frequency,photo investment and photo manipulation,which are consistent with the original scale dimension.(3)The selfie of female college students in SNS is significantly and positively correlated with self-objectification and appearance anxiety.And it is not significantly related to body esteem.(4)Self-objectification plays a full mediated role in female college students’ selfie and appearance anxiety.(5)Body esteem moderated the mediating effect of selfie on self-objectification.For women with low body esteem,selfie has no significant predictive effect on self-objectification;for women with high self-esteem,selfie can positively predict self-objectification.And as the individual’s body esteem increases,this predictive effect is gradually enhanced.