Does social media use change your visual perception?

The prevalence of social media is undeniable; indeed, most people check social media every day. Furthermore, it is increasingly simple to modify photographs prior to posting them on social media. As such, people are exposed to idealised thin bodies in traditional media and also on social media, and research shows that this exposure changes the way that we think and feel about ourselves. The aim of this project is to examine perceptual, visual and cognitive biases in relation to body image. Various aspects of this project will examine accuracy in detecting Photoshop/filtering techniques, how exposure to idealised thin bodies changes how you distribute your attention across the visual field and how low level visual perception is altered by viewing idealised bodies. Body image, self-esteem and social media usage will also be examined to understand underlying individual differences and how they relate to perception, attention and cognition.