“Be your best self – but be hot while doing it”: influencers pairing motivational captions with sexualized images

ABSTRACT

Influencers are pairing motivational captions with sexualized imagery in a recent Instagram trend. The negative impact of thin-ideal social media images paired with fitspiration captions (i.e. fitness-based captions) or disclaimer captions (i.e. warning labels) on women has been established; however, this study explored a new caption: the motivational caption. Unlike their accompanying images that emphasize a sexualized, thin-ideal body, motivational captions do not mention appearance but instead provide (seemingly) uplifting content. Utilizing an experimental survey, 589 emerging adult women were randomly assigned to view sexualized photos paired with one of three caption types: sexualizing, motivational, or neutral. Participants reported mood pre- and post-exposure, appearance comparison, self-objectification, belief that sex is power, and impressions of models. Findings revealed mood worsened in the sexualizing caption condition pre- to post- exposure compared to neutral captions. Women in the motivational caption condition reported more positive impressions of the models than women in the sexualizing caption condition. The discussion explores the potential implications of an influencer’s sexualized image/motivational caption’s implied message: in order to achieve mental/emotional success, you must also achieve a sexualized physical self. Further, findings shed light on how alternative options for caption framing affect mood and well-being.

KEYWORDS:

• Captions
• emerging adulthood
• Instagram
• sexualized images
• social comparison theory

Acknowledgments

Wheaton College Student Development for assistance with participant recruitment

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available upon request.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Halie Wenhold

Halie Wenhold is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Communication at Wheaton College. She is a media scholar interested in bridging the gap between the interpersonal and virtual. Her research explores the influence of media on adolescent and emerging adult development, relationships, body image, and values in a fame-centric social media society.

Amelia Couture Bue

Amelia Couture Bue is an Assistant Professor of Media Studies at the University of Maine. Her research uses media psychology theories, experimental design, and psychophysiological measures to examine the effect that advertising exposure has on women’s body image and feelings of empowerment. Other research interests include the effects of social media on body image and topics related to media and development. She founded and runs the Empowerment Lab at the University of Maine.