New article publication : «Between Ideals and BoPo: Daily Associations Between Exposure to Appearance Content and Body Image Among Young Individuals with Visible Differences"

References: Dedecker, L., Coosemans, L., Maes, C., Schreurs, L., & Vandenbosch, L. (2026). Between Ideals and BoPo: Daily Associations Between Exposure to Appearance Content and Body Image Among Young Individuals with Visible Differences. Media Psychology, 1–25.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15213269.2026.2743655

Summary: Exposure to appearance-related content, including beauty ideals and body positivity (BoPo) elements, is linked to young individuals’ body image. Despite being challenged to develop a healthy body image, research has overlooked young individuals with visible differences. This daily diary study among a community-recruited sample of 117 Dutch-speaking (i.e. 110 Belgians, 7 Dutch) young individuals with visible differences (Mage = 25.41), therefore, examined the short-term relationships between exposure to beauty ideals and BoPo elements with/without visible differences and appearance satisfaction, and body/visible difference surveillance. Also, the moderating role of protective filtering was explored. Multilevel regression models showed that on days when participants saw more beauty ideals without visible differences, they showed less appearance satisfaction, and higher body/visible difference surveillance, compared to their typical daily exposure and body image levels. Protective filtering moderated this association: individuals high in protective filtering experienced smaller decreases in appearance satisfaction. No between- or other within-person associations emerged. These findings highlight the complexity of social media exposure for the body image of young individuals with visible differences and the value of enhancing their protective filtering.

Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/15213269.2026.2743655