White Beauty: The Moderating Role of Social Media Addiction on Social Comparison and Skin Tone Satisfaction

Aims: To examine the prevalence of skin tone dissatisfaction among Malaysian young adults and to explore the associations between social media addiction, social comparison, and skin tone satisfaction.

Study Design: Cross-sectional survey design.

Place and Duration of Study: Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Perak, Malaysia, between December 2019 to January 2020

Methodology: Around 414 university students have partaken in an online survey consisting of a demographic questionnaire, Skin Colour Satisfaction Scale (SCSS), Upwards/Downwards Physical Appearance Comparison Scale (UPACS/DACS) and Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS).

Results: Descriptive analysis shows that the prevalence of skin tone satisfaction among Malaysian young adults is on a moderate level (M = 5.791, SD = 1.630), and there is a significant difference in satisfaction level among those who never tried using skin lightening products versus those who have experience in using those products, t (410.808) = -3.850, p < .001. Multivariate analysis shows that skin tone satisfaction is significantly associated with upwards social comparison (β = -.45), but not with downwards social comparison and social media addiction. Multigroup invariance analysis showed that social media addiction significantly weakens the relationship between upwards social comparison and skin tone satisfaction but has no effect on the relationship between downwards comparison and skin tone satisfaction.

Conclusion: Malaysian young adults are moderately satisfied with their skin tone, and upwards comparison can significantly influence skin tone satisfaction. The implications of this study are discussed in light of recommendations for policymakers to control the marketing of harmful skin lightening products online.