Influence of TikTok on Body Satisfaction Among Generation Z in Indonesia: Mixed Methods Approach

Background: As social media platforms gain popularity, their usage is increasingly associated with cyberbullying and body shaming, causing devastating effects. Objective: This study aims to investigate the impact of social media on Generation Z users’ body image satisfaction. More specifically, it examines the impact of TikTok on body image satisfaction among TikTok users aged between 17 years and 26 years in Indonesia. Methods: The methodology used mixed-method approaches. Quantitative data were obtained from 507 responses to a questionnaire and analyzed using covariance-based structural equation modeling. Qualitative data were obtained from the interviews of 32 respondents and analyzed through content analysis. Results: This study reveals that upward appearance comparison is influenced by video-based activity and appearance motivation. Conversely, thin-ideal internalization is influenced by appearance motivation and social media literacy. Upward appearance comparisons and thin-ideal internalization comparisons detrimentally impact users’ body image satisfaction. Conclusions: The results of this study are expected to provide valuable insights for social media providers, regulators, and educators in their endeavors to establish a positive and healthy social media environment for users.