Social Media Exposure and Its Effect on Self-Image

This book analyzes the effect of social media exposure on self-image among a sample of female high school and college students in the city of Sucre, Bolivia, during the 2024 academic year. A quantitative approach and an explanatory cross-sectional design were used with a purposive sample of 137 female students in the 4th, 5th, and 6th grades of high school and in college. To assess social media exposure, the Social Media Exposure Questionnaire was used; for self-image, the Self-Image Questionnaire was employed. The results show that the cell phone is the most commonly used device, and that TikTok and WhatsApp are the most popular platforms. A significant relationship was observed between the level of social media exposure and self-image, while no significant differences were found based on life stage or educational level. It is concluded that the exponential growth of digital platforms indicates that research into their effects on the personalities of young women must keep pace with efforts to promote a healthy self-image.