”Det blir att man jämför sig ändå” : En kvalitativ studie om kroppsuppfattning och kroppsideal hos unga kvinnor som följer fitnessinfluencers på sociala medier

Sammanfattning

The aim of this study was to explore how women aged 18–29 years (M = 22.9, SD = 1.55) , who follow fitness influencers on social media, experience social comparisons in relation to body perception and body ideals, with a particular focus on assimilative and contrastive comparison processes. A qualitative research design was used, and data was collected through seven semi-structured interviews with women reporting daily exposure to fitness-related content. The material was analyzed using thematic analysis. The results showed that social comparison with fitness influencers plays a central role in the participants’ experiences of body perception and body ideals. These comparisons were described as dynamic and situation-dependent, characterized by a shift between motivation and feelings of inadequacy. When influencers were perceived as relatable and body ideals as attainable, comparisons functioned as motivating and took the form of assimilative processes. In contrast, when influencers’ bodies were perceived as unrealistic or unattainable, comparisons resulted in contrastive processes associated with self-criticism and body dissatisfaction. The findings also indicated that repeated exposure to idealized fitness content contributed to a gradual shift in perceived normality, whereby extreme and often unattainable body ideals became normalized and served as an implicit standard for self-evaluation. Despite an awareness that body ideals on social media are often unrealistic, participants continued to evaluate their bodies in relation to these ideals. Overall, the findings highlight the complex and context-dependent nature of social comparison in digital environments.