Fourth International Conference on Tourism and Leisure Studies

Abstract

A survey of racially and culturally diverse undergraduate men (N=565) examined the social and entertainment media’s influence on their body image, social comparison, and thin-ideal internalization. Results showed negative effects of both social and entertainment media on young men’s body image. Entertainment media (vs. social media) had a stronger effect on men’s thin-ideal internalization, whereas social media had a stronger effect on men’s social comparison. Ethnic minority (vs. Non-Hispanic Caucasian) men felt the most underrepresented on social and entertainment media. More specifically, 83% of men of Asian/Pacific Islander ethnic background, 82% of both Middle Eastern/Arab and Mixed race perceived their body types to be the most unrepresented in entertainment media. Whereas, 87% Middle Eastern/Arab, 75% of African American, and 74% of Asian/Pacific Islander perceived their body types to be the most unrepresented on social media sites. The implications of the research are discussed.