Social Media Usage and Social Appearance Anxiety in Young Adults

Social media has become an inseparable and important part of our daily lives. The COVID pandemic has forced people to stay indoors in isolation and has increased social media usage. Social media platforms are means for individuals to connect to other users across platforms, borders and continents. While it is said that social media facilitates a sense of belongingness, productivity and creativity, it also leads individuals to engage in social comparison. The present study aimed to assess the relationship between Social Media Usage and Social Appearance Anxiety. A web-based survey was administered among a sample of 120 individuals from metropolitan cities of India ranging from 18-25 years. Spearman’s Correlation was used to find out whether a significant relationship existed between Social Media Usage and Social Appearance Anxiety. The findings revealed that there is a statistically significant and negative correlation between Social Media Usage and Social Appearance Anxiety. Limitations of the study and recommendations for future research are discussed.