Texas Research Center for Social Dynamics

Study Period: September 2018 – December 2021

Executive Summary

Background. Body dissatisfaction among men has risen dramatically in the social media era, with consequences including muscle dysmorphia, anabolic steroid use, and eating disorders. While female body image has been extensively studied, male body dissatisfaction and its social media drivers have received less attention. A growing body of content analysis research shows that female social media influencers frequently post commentary about male bodies—including height shaming, “dad bod” ridicule, and muscularity expectations—that may contribute to appearance pressure on male followers. However, no experimental study had tested whether modifying this content improves male viewers’ body esteem.

Objective. The INFLUENCE trial was a cluster-randomized controlled experiment testing whether a Responsible Content Intervention (RCI) for female influencers, which educated them about the impact of their body commentary and asked them to reduce such posts, would improve body satisfaction and reduce disordered eating and muscle-building behaviors among their adolescent male followers over a 6-month period.

Methods. From 2018 to 2020, 120 female Instagram influencers (aged 18–30, 50,000–500,000 followers, >60% male audience) were recruited and agreed to participate in a “media style study.” Their 1,800 most engaged male followers (aged 16–24) were enrolled via direct message recruitment (15 per influencer). Influencers were randomly assigned to the RCI (n = 60) or an active control (n = 60). The RCI comprised a 3-hour workshop (online) and a monthly self-monitoring dashboard. The workshop presented research on how female commentary about male appearance affects adolescent boys’ mental health, using examples of height shaming, body part ridicule, and objectifying language. Influencers were asked to voluntarily reduce appearance-focused commentary about men and to consider alternative content. The control group received a workshop on general digital wellness (screen time, sleep). Primary outcomes were change in male followers’ Body Appreciation Scale (BAS-2) and Male Body Attitudes Scale (MBAS) at 6 months. Secondary outcomes included frequency of self-reported appearance commentary exposure, muscle dysmorphia symptoms (Muscle Dysmorphic Disorder Inventory; MDDI), and use of appearance- or performance-enhancing substances.

Results. At 6 months, male followers of RCI influencers showed a significant increase in BAS-2 scores (mean change +0.35 SD vs. −0.04 SD in control, p < 0.001) and a decrease in MBAS muscularity dissatisfaction (−0.28 SD vs. +0.09 SD, p < 0.001). MDDI scores declined in the RCI group (−2.1 points vs. +0.3, p = 0.002). The proportion reporting use of muscle-building supplements or steroids decreased from 18% to 12% in RCI followers versus 17% to 19% in controls (OR = 0.57, p = 0.01). Content analysis of influencers’ posts confirmed that RCI influencers reduced body commentary by 62% (from a mean of 4.2 body-related posts per week to 1.6), while controls remained stable (4.0 to 3.9). Mediation analyses demonstrated that the reduction in followers’ exposure to female body commentary mediated 71% of the intervention effect on body appreciation.

Conclusion. Female social media influencers’ commentary on male bodies has a direct, causal, negative impact on adolescent boys’ body esteem and health behaviors. A brief, non-coercive intervention that educates influencers about this impact leads to substantial content changes and measurable mental health benefits for followers. The findings place responsibility not solely on the boys who internalize these messages, but on the women who create and disseminate them, highlighting a heretofore underrecognized social dynamic of harm.

1. Introduction

Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube are central to adolescents’ social lives. While much research has examined how idealized female imagery affects girls, the rise of male body dissatisfaction is increasingly linked to social media content. Notably, women are not passive consumers; many are active content creators whose commentary on male bodies reaches large audiences. Female influencers frequently post about male physical traits: height requirements for dating, jokes about “dad bods,” or objectifying muscularity. Such content, while often framed as humor or empowerment, can reinforce rigid appearance ideals for boys.

Observational studies have found correlations between consumption of appearance-focused social media and body dissatisfaction in men, but these cannot establish causality or isolate the gender of the content creator. The INFLUENCE trial innovatively intervened with the creators rather than the consumers, leveraging the fact that influencers are reachable and potentially responsive to evidence about harm.

2. Methods

2.1 Design and Participants

INFLUENCE was a cluster-randomized, parallel-group, active-controlled trial. One hundred twenty female influencers were recruited from the Austin and Houston areas via a social media talent agency. Eligibility: female, aged 18–30, 50,000–500,000 Instagram followers, >60% male audience, at least 2 body-related posts per week (averaged over 30 days). Each influencer provided a list of their most engaged male followers (top 15, based on likes/comments, aged 16–24), who were invited to participate in a “social media and health study.” A total of 1,800 male followers enrolled. Followers were not informed of the influencer’s participation to avoid demand effects. The TRCSD IRB approved the study.

2.2 Randomization and Intervention

Influencers were randomized 1:1, stratified by follower count and baseline body commentary frequency. The RCI workshop (3 hours, online) was delivered by a clinical psychologist and a media researcher. It presented longitudinal data linking exposure to female body commentary to male mental health problems, used real examples (anonymized) from the influencers’ own feeds, and facilitated discussion about ethical responsibilities. Influencers were not required to sign any contract; they were simply asked to consider reducing appearance-focused male body commentary. They then received a monthly dashboard showing their own frequency of body-related posts (generated via a natural language processing tool) and a gentle reminder. Controls received a workshop on digital wellness (screen time management, blue light, sleep hygiene).

2.3 Outcomes

Male followers completed online surveys at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. Primary outcomes: BAS-2 (10 items, 1–5 scale) and MBAS (25 items, including muscularity, body fat, and height dissatisfaction). Secondary outcomes: MDDI, substance use (creatine, SARMs, anabolic steroids). Exposure to body commentary was measured by a bespoke scale: “In the past month, how often have you seen posts from female influencers commenting on men’s bodies (e.g., height, muscles, weight)?” (1 = never, 5 = daily). Influencers’ actual posting behavior was tracked via a research account that scraped posts using keyword filters and manual coding (10% sample, κ = 0.90).

2.4 Analysis

Mixed-effects linear regression with random intercepts for influencer cluster was used for continuous outcomes, and logistic mixed models for binary outcomes. The primary comparison was the group × time interaction at 6 months. Mediation used multilevel structural equation modeling.

3. Results

Influencers had a mean of 142,000 followers. Male followers had a mean age of 18.9 (SD 2.1). Retention was 87% at 6 months.

RCI influencers reduced body-related posts by 62% (mean 4.2 to 1.6 per week), while controls stayed at ~4.0. Followers’ exposure to body commentary declined from 3.8 to 2.1 in RCI vs. 3.7 to 3.5 in control (p < 0.001).

BAS-2 increased in RCI followers (M = 3.32 to 3.67, 0.35 SD change) vs. control (3.35 to 3.31, −0.04 SD; between-group difference 0.39 SD, p < 0.001). MBAS muscularity dissatisfaction decreased (−0.28 SD vs. +0.09 SD, p < 0.001). MDDI dropped by 2.1 points in RCI vs. a slight increase in control (p = 0.002). Substance use declined from 18% to 12% in RCI vs. 17% to 19% in control (OR = 0.57, p = 0.01). Mediation: reduction in body commentary exposure mediated 71% of BAS-2 improvement.

4. Discussion

The INFLUENCE trial demonstrates that female influencers’ casual, often humorous commentary about male bodies is a significant, modifiable determinant of adolescent boys’ body image. The finding that a brief educational intervention with influencers led to dramatic content reduction and downstream mental health benefits suggests that many women may be unaware of the harm their words cause. When informed, they voluntarily changed their behavior, and this change translated into healthier psychological outcomes for thousands of young men.

This study challenges the prevailing narrative that body image problems are solely driven by idealized male images posted by male fitness influencers. Female voices, amplified by algorithms, also set appearance standards for men. The results have implications for platform policy: social media companies could implement educational nudges for creators whose content is flagged as appearance-shaming.

Limitations include the self-selected sample of influencers who agreed to participate, which may overrepresent those already somewhat concerned about their impact. The 6-month follow‑up is relatively short. The study did not include male influencers making body commentary about women, a separate but related dynamic.

5. Conclusion

Women’s social media commentary on male bodies is a causal contributor to male body dissatisfaction and unhealthy behaviors. The INFLUENCE trial shows that educating female influencers can effectively reduce this content and improve the well-being of their male followers. The Texas Research Center for Social Dynamics recommends that social media literacy programs address the bidirectional nature of appearance pressure and that influencer education be scaled as a public health strategy.

6. References

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3. Tylka, T.L., & Wood-Barcalow, N.L. (2015). The Body Appreciation Scale-2: Item refinement and psychometric evaluation. Body Image, 12, 53–67.
4. Murray, S.B., Griffiths, S., & Mond, J.M. (2016). Evolving eating disorder psychopathology: Conceptualising muscularity-oriented disordered eating. British Journal of Psychiatry, 208(5), 414–415.
5. Pope, H.G., Khalsa, J.H., & Bhasin, S. (2017). Body image disorders and abuse of anabolic-androgenic steroids among men. JAMA, 317(1), 23–24.
6. Carrotte, E.R., Prichard, I., & Lim, M.S.C. (2017). “Fitspiration” on social media: A content analysis of gendered images. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 19(3), e95.

March 2020