The Role of Instagram Use in Eating Pathology: An Examination of Instagram Investment and Involvement

Social media use and desires for thinness are two common features of American society. The purpose of this study was to determine if a meaningful relationship exists between how individuals present themselves on Instagram photos and engage in problematic eating behaviors. Both a pilot (N = 123) and full-scale study (N = 186) were conducted with female identifying university students ages 18–24 years old. In both studies, participants were recruited from undergraduate courses at a southern regional university. The Social Media Investment and Involvement Scale-Instagram (SMIIS-Instagram) was developed and factor analyzed in the pilot from which 32 items were retained. In the full study, hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between Instagram use and eating pathology, after accounting for self-esteem and social appearance anxiety, which have been demonstrated in previous literature to have significant associations with eating pathology. All three variables together accounted for 29.6% of the variance in eating pathology, F(3,182) = 25.6, p < .001 with Instagram use accounting for 4.4% of unique variance in eating pathology, ∆F(1,182) = 5.3, p < .001. Bivariate correlation analyses were conducted with SMIIS-Instagram items and EAT-26 scores to determine which items are more associated with eating pathology than others. Items related to photo editing were among the most significant. Results of this study can be used to inform psychoeducation on social media use for both clients and providers. The study’s limitations include limited diversity of the sample, the use of self-report measures, and the use of a newly developed scale.