Social Media and Women's Mental Health: The Roles of Information Acquisition in Mediating Appearance Anxiety

Objectives: With the rapid advancement of digital technology, the use of social media has become a significant characteristic of contemporary society. In this context, the continuous portrayal and emphasis on ideal beauty on social media platforms have particularly intensified women's "appearance anxiety." Although previous studies have explored the link between social media and mental health, the mechanism of how women's appearance anxiety, triggered by social media, impacts mental health remains unclear. Methods: In this paper, integrating the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM), we establish a research model to analyze how social media affects women's mental health through the mediation of information acquisition patterns. We conducted a cross-sectional survey online with 565 participants from June to August 2023, resulting in 521 valid questionnaires for hypothesis testing. Results: We found that social media is a significant factor influencing women's appearance anxiety. The frequency of accessing beauty and fashion information positively predicts overall appearance anxiety in women. Both active and passive information acquisition modes positively predict women's appearance anxiety and behaviors, influencing perceived risks and efficacy, with perceived risks and efficacy playing a mediating role. Conclusions: Conveying risk-related information (such as the risks of cosmetic surgery and makeup use) enhances women's appearance anxiety, while mitigating risk information (such as skin care methods and natural beauty) reduces it, with perceived risks and efficacy mediating these effects.