Repercussions of Social Networks on Their Users’ Body Image: Integrative Review

Abstract This integrative review of literature followed the PICO strategy to investigate the repercussions of the use of social networks on the body image of their users. PubMed, LILACS, PsycINFO and SciELO databases were included as well as articles published between January 2006 and February 2019. Thirty-three articles were analyzed, which compose the corpus of this review. The studies revealed that social networks have a predominantly negative repercussion on the body self-image of their users, increasing levels of body dissatisfaction, also having a negative impact on mood and self-esteem. Added to this, social networks influenced the body type that users would like to have, translated by the lean body profile, considered a model of beauty. Resumo Esta revisão integrativa da literatura seguiu a estratégia PICO para investigar as repercussões do uso das redes sociais na imagem corporal de seus usuários. Foram consultadas as bases PubMed, LILACS, PsycINFO e SciELO e incluídos artigos publicados entre janeiro de 2006 e fevereiro de 2019. Foram analisados 32 artigos na íntegra, que compuseram o corpus dessa revisão. Os estudos revelaram que as redes sociais repercutem predominantemente de forma negativa na autoimagem corporal de seus usuários, aumentando os níveis de insatisfação corporal e gerando impacto negativo no estado de humor e na autoestima. Somado a isso, as redes sociais influenciaram no tipo corporal que os usuários gostariam de ter traduzido pelo perfil corporal magro, considerado como modelo de beleza.