The Influence of Social Media Beauty Filters and Digital Identity on Body Image (Body Dysmorphic Disorder), Eating habits (Eating Disorder) Among Teenagers and Young Adults in India

Authors

  • Souris Lahiri
  • Ahana Mishra
  • Moupriya Roy
  • Debangana Bhattacharya

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.69980/ajpr.v29i1.911

Keywords:

Beauty filters, Body Dysmorphia, BDDQ, Digital identity, EAT-26, Indian young adults, Self-discrepancy, Social Comparison

Abstract

Social media beauty filters have become key to digital self-presentation and possibly intensifies appearance or look-based comparison, self-discrepancy, and self-objectification, thereby increasing vulnerability to body dysmorphic tendencies and disorganized eating. Guided by social comparison theory, self-discrepancy theory, and objectification theory, this mixed-methods study examined associations between beauty-filter use, body dysmorphic symptoms, and eating attitudes among Indian young adults. 30 participants aged 18–25 years (M = 21.8, SD = 1.31) completed the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Questionnaire (BDDQ; Phillips, 1996) primarily used as a screening tool to collect data only from the samples with ample body dysmorphic tendencies and the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26; Garner et al., 1982), and semi-structured interviews were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic framework. The results showed that using filters often was linked to more worries about body image and a tendency to eat in an unhealthy way. Thematic analysis found five main patterns of experience: people using filters to improve themselves and control their emotions; beauty standards in society making people anxious about their appearance; differences between their digital and real selves; self-worth based on online validation; and a growing awareness and resistance to unrealistic beauty ideals. The results show that beauty filters can boost confidence for a short time, but they also make people more self-conscious, unhappy, and dependent on feedback from others. These results show that Indian youth need programs that teach them how to use the media and mental health treatments that are sensitive to their culture to deal with filter-related dysmorphia.

Author Biographies

Souris Lahiri

B.Sc in Psychology, Department of Psychology, Sister Nivedita University, Kolkata

Ahana Mishra

B.Sc in Psychology, Department of Psychology, Sister Nivedita University, Kolkata

Moupriya Roy

B.Sc in Psychology, Department of Psychology, Sister Nivedita University, Kolkata

Debangana Bhattacharya

Consulting Psychologist and PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Sister Nivedita University, Kolkata, Life Member of InSPA

References

1. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). APA. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596

2. Badola, S., Sidani, J., Moreno, M. A., & Radovic, A. (2025). Self-presentation on social media and body image concerns in young adults: A systematic review. Journal of Adolescent Health, 76(1), 54–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2024.10.005

3. Beos, D., Pezirkianidis, C., Karakasidou, E., Mourouti, O., & Stalikas, A. (2021). Self-discrepancy and body dissatisfaction across adulthood. Journal of Adult Development, 28(2), 167–179. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-020-09348-1

4. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

5. Brown, Z., & Tiggemann, M. (2016). Attractive celebrity and peer images on Instagram: Effect on women’s mood and body image. Body Image, 19, 37–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2016.08.007

6. Caravelli, J., Monaghan, S., & Murray, S. (2025). Social comparison on social media and body image outcomes: A longitudinal panel analysis. Computers in Human Behavior, 152, 107152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2023.107152

7. Cash, T. F., & Szymanski, M. L. (1995). The development and validation of the Body-Image Ideals Questionnaire. Journal of Personality Assessment, 64(3), 466–477. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa6403_6

8. Choukas‐Bradley, S., Roberts, S. R., Maheux, A. J., Ladouceur, C. D., & Silk, J. S. (2022). Peer feedback, self-evaluation, and social media: Adolescent vulnerabilities. Current Opinion in Psychology, 46, 101333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101333

9. Chua, T. H. H., & Chang, L. (2016). Follow me and like my beautiful selfies: Instagram use and narcissistic patterns of self-presentation. Journal of Children and Media, 10(2), 142–159. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482798.2015.1029390

10. Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity: Youth and crisis. W. W. Norton. https://archive.or g/details/identityyouthcri00erik

11. Fardouly, J., & Vartanian, L. R. (2016). Social media and body image concerns: Current research and future directions. Current Opinion in Psychology, 9, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.09.005

12. Fardouly, J., Pinkus, R., & Vartanian, L. (2017). The impact of appearance comparisons made through social media. Body Image, 20, 107–114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2017.01.007

13. Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human Relations, 7(2), 117–140. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872675400700202

14. Fioravanti, G., Prostamo, A., Casale, S., & Casale, A. (2022). Social media use and eating disorders: A systematic review. Eating and Weight Disorders, 27(6), 1821–1838. https://doi.org/10.10 07/s40519-0 21-01312-1

15. Fredrickson, B. L., & Roberts, T. (1997). Objectification theory. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 21(2), 173–206. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.1997.tb00108.x

16. Garner, D. M., Olmsted, M. P., Bohr, Y., & Garfinkel, P. E. (1982). The Eating Attitudes Test: Psychometric features. Psychological Medicine, 12(4), 871–878. https://doi.org/10.1017/ S0033291700049163

17. Grogan, S. (2008). Body image: Understanding body dissatisfaction in men, women, and children. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203138442

18. Hartmann, A. S., Greenberg, J. L., & Wilhelm, S. (2022). Body dysmorphic disorder and disordered eating: Clinical overlaps. Clinical Psychology Review, 95, 101982. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2022.101982

19. Higgins, E. T. (1987). Self-discrepancy: A theory relating self and affect. Psychological Review, 94(3), 319–340. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.94.3.319

20. Holland, G., & Tiggemann, M. (2016). A systematic review of the impact of the use of social networking sites on body image. Body Image, 17, 100–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.20 16.02.008

21. Holland, G., & Tiggemann, M. (2017). Self‐objectification and body shame in social media contexts. Sex Roles, 76(3–4), 311–321. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-016-0605-y

22. Jarman, H. K., Marques, M. D., McLean, S. A., & Slater, A. (2021). Adolescents’ experiences of social media and body image. Body Image, 38, 100–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2021.03.005

23. Jiménez-García, M. A., Sánchez-Cabrero, R., & García, J. A. (2025). Media literacy and body image outcomes in adolescents: A meta‐analysis. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 54(1), 77–92. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-024-02045-9

24. Lewallen, J., & Behm-Morawitz, E. (2016). Social media and the body image of young adults. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 60(1), 126–143. https://doi.org/10.1080/08838151.2015.1127248

25. Ozimek, P., Breidenbach, S., & Bierhoff, H.-W. (2023). Self-objectification, appearance comparison, and self-esteem in SNS photo-editing. Computers in Human Behavior, 139, 107473. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107473

26. Parameswaran, R., & Cardoza, K. (2009). Melanin on the margins: Advertising and colorism in India. Journalism & Communication Monographs, 11(1), 213–274. https://doi.org/10.1177/152263790901100107

27. Phillips, K. A. (1996). The Body Dysmorphic Disorder Questionnaire. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease. https://doi.org/10.10 97/00005053-199612000-00014

28. Phillips, K. A. (2009). Understanding body dysmorphic disorder. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/med:psych/9780195307046.001.0001

29. Rodgers, R. F., & Melioli, T. (2016). The relationship between body image concerns, eating disorders, and social media use. Current Opinion in Psychology, 9, 83–87. https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.09.003

30. Saiphoo, A. N., & Vahedi, Z. (2019). Meta-analysis of social media and body image dissatisfaction. Body Image, 29, 28–40. https://doi.org/10.1 016/j.bodyim.2019.02.002

31. Sarwer, D. B. (2019). Body dysmorphic disorder and eating pathology: Shared pathways. Clinical Obesity, 9(2), e12.2.94. https://doi.org/10 .1111/cob.12294

32. Sarda, E., El-Jor, C., Rodgers, R., & Flaudias, V. (2025). Social media, self-objectification, self-compassion, and body image concerns: A systematic review. Journal of Eating Disorders, 13, 192. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-025-01353-4

33. Schroeder, R., & Behm-Morawitz, E. (2024). Filtered reality: AR beauty filters, body image, and self-comparison. New Media & Society, 26(4), 1178–1198. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444 8221074689

34. Sekhar, R., Gupta, A., & Tripathi, A. (2024). Colorism, fairness norms, and body image among Indian youth. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 27(2), 155–167. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajsp .12507

Downloads

Published

2026-05-22

Issue

Vol. 29 No. 1 (2026): American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License permitting all use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.