Instagram's Impact on Women's Body Image Revealed through Eye-tracking Study

A study published in Computers in Human Behavior used eye-tracking technology to examine how women's viewing behavior on Instagram relates to their body image. The results showed that participants had an attentional bias towards underweight bodies and average faces, reflecting current beauty standards. Images of bodies were viewed more frequently and for longer durations than images of faces, possibly because bodies provide more cues about weight. The study also found that a person's own body satisfaction influenced what images they looked at and how long they looked at them. The research sheds light on the potential negative impact of social media on body image and self-esteem.