Body image for boys and men in digital spaces: current findings and a conceptual reboot for future research

Digital spaces - such as social media, video games, dating apps, virtual reality, online fitness communities, pornography, and online forums - are important sociocultural influences for appearance and body ideals. Boys and men frequently engage with these digital spaces, and their patterns of engagement can often differ from the use-patterns of girls and women. This paper aimed to provide an overview of the current findings investigating how the specific ways that boys and men engage with digital spaces can impact body image, including exposure to appearance ideals, online self-presentation, digital social evaluation, masculinity, and the blurring of health, fitness, and appearance. We also identify gaps in the research and avenues for future studies - namely the prioritisation of experimental and longitudinal designs to provide greater clarity about causal effects, innovation in the ways that digital spaces can be used to positively impact body image, and the use of qualitative studies and co-design to ensure that the aspects of digital spaces and body image which are included in future research are highly relevant for boys and men. These findings will help guide strategies - for digital technology companies, policy makers, and clinicians - to reduce the ways that digital spaces can be harmful for body image in boys and men, whilst bolstering the potential positive effects.