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Introduction
Today, wearing styles, nutrition styles, values, attitude, and human behaviors are quickly changing, and people should change their consumption pattern and lifestyle a lot to adapt to their surroundings. Therefore, people need updated information and awareness to promote permanently whose most important part is recurved by media, and media can influence on the cultural structure of the society deeply such as lifestyle. Societies have changed greatly by communication development. Social media such as virtual social network influence on lifestyles and public interests in the community. Today the real world has organized based on the virtual world, consumption, and entertainment structures. In addition, people are there not to work but to consume, represent, and show off themselves.
Van Loon (2000:168) believes that the significant part of online users in Instagram has made based on body characteristics. On the other hand, the embodied experiences of today human have extensively resulted in communication technology through the role of virtual social media in today humans lives. The media body is faced in Instagram which is defined not by physical but virtual characteristics.
According to Kulandairaj (2014), virtual social networks influence on entertainment, nutrition, sort, and music favorite of users which change wearing style, makeup, and weight control, and increase their tendency to mitigate modern life, patterns, and diversitism. Physical attractiveness is one of the issues finding new standards in the modern era and is considered as the factors forming people relationships in a way that people appearance and styles have become more important and various health behaviors such as bodybuilding, diets, exercise equipment, and various body care products have been produced. Moreover, the appearance of an individual is considered as the personal identity representative more than ever.
The mental image of each youth about his/her body significantly influences the determination of his/her identity. Body image includes individual perception about his/her body as well as attitude. The structural factors such as cultural globalization, social evolutions, innovation, and incremental confrontation to the visual and written media have brought more attention to the body. Global culture evolutions, information, and communication technologies, particularly virtual networks, with presenting ideal bodies and definitions for beauty (such as having the muscular body for youth) made them compare their youth by proposed and common patterns in this media and try to reach or approach the proposed standards in media. Because body image is like a part of people personal identity and can play a principal role in their interactions with others. The body has found the specific rank as the most transparent carrier of itself and plays a role in daily interactions and life.
In recent decade, showing off fashionable clothing, updated makeup, using all types of diets, medicines, and other choices such as communication and behavior, attending a variety of public and private spaces, doing various leisure activities and various cultural uses related to an apparent style that provides dignified image of him/herself by have been opened to everyone. The virtual social networks such as Instagram is the main representative of lifestyle as famous people, as well as ordinary ones, share some faces of their daily life in this space. Many lifestyles have been transferred to others through these virtual spaces and this media determines which body is beautiful and which wearing style is ideal, and which is out of fashion. Unfortunately, users undress their personal space in virtual networks in spite of the society common law. Some users are constantly reflecting on the appearance of their lives in this space for approval and acceptance in the virtual world. The space able to show Iranian appearance style appropriate to value, culture, and guarantee the health and dynamism of society has changed to the space of homogenization, misleading, and vulgarity private space of users and youth non-identity. This research tries to investigate the role of a virtual social network on body management (wearing style appearance style (fitness), makeup style, and diet).Hashemi Monfared, A., & Rabiei, A. (2016).
Development
The human body has a collection of abilities and limitations and has been influenced by the cultural-social occasions he lives in all life parts. According to the extensive changes of virtual social networks and western media, the physical features are important for all men and women because they think that more beautiful face and body can help them reach their goals and ideals. Youth look at themselves by an instrumental vision that definite and represent their bodies how they want. Later, some studies about social networks and body management are discussed.
Instagram users spend a great time for their activities (sharing images, showing their appearance, etc.) there to reach popularity and enjoyment. Instagram and its ability have changed to a tool to form themselves and their images are somehow biography through which users state their selections, social class, personality, and appearance.
Eydizadeh & Ahmadi Baloutaki (2017), believe that increasing the use of virtual social networks such as what’s up and Telegram reduces exercise, health, diet quality, and users want to lose their weights and intend more to fast foods.
Results of Sheikhzadeh Esmaeili (2017), show the significant relationship between the tendency to body management (wearing, physical, and appearance management) and variables of using and membership in Instagram, assertiveness, and trust. In addition, using Instagram and attention to its advertisement influences users’ view about fitness, nutrition style, and appearance (body management) and move them toward consumerism, all surgery types, and use of pills for fitness (slimness or bodybuilding pills).
Jafari & Fathi (2017), found out using digital media change lie style, wearing style, diet, attitude toward body, and appearance. People idea about hair-dressing, cloth, nutrition, even hobbies, literature, and fashion changes attitude and behavior by the impression of media advertisement and message.
Forghani & Mohajerani (2017), believe that there is a relationship between the components of lifestyle, wearing selection, diet, change in makeup, decoration, and house appliances, shopping style, hobbies and spending leisure time, and changing interactions and communications, and face-to-face relationships of users with amount of using cell phone social networks in a way that increasing the hours of spending time in these networks will change each component of lifestyle.
Bibakabadi, Soltanifar, and Delavar (2016) believe that the use and activity in Facebook (production and share of content, reaction to the shared content), its features, and trust on this network have made users try to represent their ideas in the virtual space to attract the audiences’ attention. Therefore, it influences on their lifestyle and relationships and makes them like a carnival.
Results of Salimian (2016), show the significant relationship between the use, membership, and attitude toward the virtual social networks with body management, theatrical consumption and the tendency for cosmetic and surgical, fitness, social acceptance. Alternatively, the more respondents use virtual social networks, the more they are accepted into the community and view of others and tend more toward consumption, surgery, and fitness.
Hashemimonfared & Rabiei (2016), believe that Instagram space is a popular space to represent the real personality of users and change the wearing style of women (upper body nakedness, hanging sleeve, short and open cloth in women images in virtual space and fading hijab of the real world) and men (naked image, hanging sleeve, short pants, sport cloth in virtual pace, and easily worn cloth in the street and real-world). This space breaks the laws and norms of society, and women are more likely to use self-image than men to portray themselves.
Na’ami, Moshabaki & Atiyekar (2016), believe that economic agencies in Iran could use the space of Instagram as online vitrine by their goods and services advertisement about fashion, cloth, and cosmetic products and have invited Tehran youth to enjoyable purchase and could change their wearing style, cosmetic, and consumption tendency.
Rasoulzadeh Aghdam, et al. (2015), believe that the use and attachment to the virtual social networks have made users neglect hijab, select the western wearing style, non-hijab, and bad-hijab style, and change their tendency.
The number of membership in social networks can change lifestyle by changing the wearing style, diet, and consumption. Users change their attitudes and viewpoints in the field of lifestyle by focusing on different types of online advertising and displaying their lifestyles, paying more attention to their body and appearance.
Ghasemi, Adlipour & Barandegi (2014), believe that facebook change the users attitude type about their bodies and make them tolerate heavy costs to get satisfied from their bodies and appearance and tend to variety of make-up, new cover, semi-naked, use of branded and new apparel and fashion, and a variety of surgeries to reach their ideal media body.
Results of Dutta, De & Chandan (2017), show that virtual social networks, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Skype are greatly used by university students, and most of them interact in these spaces and adjust and observe their world through these virtual windows, show their lives while travel, eating, exercise, and their family relationships in the virtual space. In addition, they depend and addict to these spaces permanently, and their lives are in the showing off and representing form. As a result, they don’t have an active life and basically most of their real-world activity is about attracting users and making it popular in cyberspace by changing and displaying the cover, diet (type of food, place of meal, how to bake it) singing, challenging, beauty style, and the presence of cyberspace is displayed.
Burnette (2016), believes that social media negatively influence on body management and an appearance by messages about beauty, fashion, weight, food, and western values. Social media in adolescence leads to girls’ dissatisfaction with the body, lower self-esteem, lean body image, and eating disorders. He believes that social media as well can correct and fit users’ bodies and attention to their body health. If you don’t have sufficient media knowledge in this field, users will be attracted to the unhealthy eating style, the tendency to modernism and consumerism.
The virtual world challenges the users’ identities as a hot more than everything, change selections, thoughts, and interests by showing the extensive world of styles, patterns, and the world of various users in the global world, and provides the way to satisfy their needs. Moreover, users produce and share a prior culture (western culture) to increase popularity only using the predetermined content and invite people worlds toward individualism. Reading articles, eating drinks, chatting, and face-to-face conversations in families have been replaced by computer games, chat, monitoring the Facebook news of the day, etc. anymore.
Klein (2013), believes that virtual social networks persuade women to use advertising goods such as slimming pills, turning to a specific exercise, surgery, etc. by representing diet and traditional advertising and thin women with a particular style as the ideal woman.
Klein found out by studying the previous research and interviews that disorder in eating, moving toward hunger, anorexia, weight loss through surgery is the result of social pressure in the social and real spaces. Moreover, some websites promote abnormal surgery (causing hip splinters, ear surgery, eye discoloration, lens use, etc.) by misrepresenting and displaying objective visuals through which change women mental image about beauty and the users intend to make-up and use of advertising and its products (Colin Klein's underwear, similar men’s and women’s wear, increase of eroticism, etc.) by surfing in slim-show websites.
Results of Wynn (2012), show that the media has a significant role in the body images of young women. Youth and teens are impressed by watching the images and models of women their cloth, and bodies in media and try to change their lifestyle. Young women are not satisfied with their bodies by the impression of media and men views about them and try to exercise and change their diet to reach the ideal and proper body to have unique and fresher skin.
Wallis (2011), believes that the new lifestyles, conversation, and relationships in social media are represented, and Chinese youth in this space is in a state of tension for displaying an ideal look and appearance. In addition, the free space of social networks form the representing life and change the recreational interest and consumption (watching and following the page of celebrities and actors, using sexy photo brands, special cover, harmful food products, similar online games, etc.) of users, and they users take pictures from any position and state to increase popularity in this space even when one life is threatened. The extensive advertising of western and modern life in this space changed the youth tendency to such luxury lives and wasting time, money, and their depression.
Result of Sarinally (2004), shows that the Internet and social media is powerful to influence public thoughts and changing behavior and lifestyle of Taiwanese people and attracted them to the western pattern. Of course, according to Sarinally idea, using internet-based technology normally didn’t have much impact on the lifestyle. However, the amount of tendency and attachment to use this network changed lifestyle and leisure style of people, its effect on mind and attitude is relatively higher.
Walters & Kop (2009), believe that digital technology changes the users’ lives and influence the users’ interests based on leisure time, music, buying style, and even culture. In addition, social networks influence all physical and mental aspects of users’ lives and remove culture and move toward pleasure.
Theoretical bases
Lifestyles are behaviors that have changed to the daily routine- the flows of waring, eating, reaction, and desirable environment to meet others. Body, appearance, fitness, wearing style, diet, and consumption style are the components of body management and representation of lifestyle which are influenced by technology and virtual social network advertisement.
According to Giddens (2005), the real world provides a lot of various and different styles to people and he/she has to select one to act. Even if a person wants to live based on the traditional culture, he/she has to make a specific choice unintentionally. Therefore, each person has to select a special lifestyle in the modern era which is considered as his/her specific style. According to Giddens (2005), idea, lifestyle selected by people not only satisfy their current needs but also they embody what they select a special story for their identities for others. Giddens knows lifestyles as the product of modern world choices and knows lifestyle conditioned on chances or opportunities attributed to anyone.
He believes that the special characteristics of dynamic modernism are the global-extensive and high change of traditional customs that the modern lifestyles and patterns are made and share in the virtual space through new technologies such as virtual social networks and influence on consumption, performance, and behavior of its users. Body image and appearance are always exposed to the caused changes by advertisement and share of media. Giddens (1999), knows the body as the mobile system and a series of interactions with everyday life are seen as important in maintaining and reinforcing the concept of personal identity. According to his idea, somebody features are related to him and personal identity and are different. The physical feature of the body include all visible ones such as wearing, cloth, and makeup for him/herself and are usually used as symbols to interpret reaction. The appearance of people is rather the symbol of people social identity than their identity.
In addition, Thorstein Veblen believes that human mass media must change into mass consumption. Actually, the fake advertisement moves human toward luxury life combined with consumption and oblige him to waste the results of many years attempt in earning a living and living in installments, and the magic power of mass media makes humans avid and creates a pattern of addiction to the consumption of commercial and consumer goods and make so-called dummy. This pattern prevents humans any meditation and pondering, and move the real hope and desires of the human toward supplying luxurious appliances. Virtual networks act as one of the equipped and powerful media with all other media and prior abilities such as cultural industry and media in light advertisement and as prior power method to globalize and homogenize lives, thoughts, and contemplations.
According to Goffman idea, virtual social networks provide a desirable environment for symbolic communication, assertiveness, and representation of new and self-made identities far from limitations through virtual and symbolic interactions. Humans are like actors playing their roles in life- the ones who play on the scene. They perceive the views and ideas of their audiences to represent the desired role by their audiences. The face is so important for face-to-face interactions and social performances. The social face is a public face and needs a permanent change of the existed veil on it. Makeup is a tool to obtain this veil. The veil of makeup is removed only in extreme emotional conditions, alone or in the presence of friends that the face mask and the private face or the real person appears. The body is the functional tool to cope with the outside condition and face mimics and body gestures are signs to share production and reproduction of social relationships and personal identity with others and have a permanent and successful observation on his body and face.
Goffman believes that people seek refuge in social spaces to achieve the ideal image and escape reality and fear of being ignored which extra use and exposed to all types of advertisement, images, and videos lead to assertiveness and tend to others confirmation to reach popularity, varied wearing styles, and appearance (Sheikhzadeh Esmaeili, 2017). An individual involves a specific type of communication culture including attitude, rhetoric, special idioms, behavior, personality, and appearance through which can change to the ideal models is not so much qualified society.
Materials and Methods
The methodology of this research is qualified, sectional, and based on surveying. The statistical population of this research includes the dwelled citizens in Tehran in 2018 who are 13267636 people. Multistage clustering sampling method was used for the structure of the statistical population. In addition, the sample volume was determined 420 persons using Cochran formula. The research tool was the researcher-made questionnaire. The final questionnaire was made according to the validity and reliability based on confirmation of the professors’ ideas. The validity of indexes is based on face validity. The reliability of the main indexes of research was examined using interior reliability method (Cronbach’s alpha coefficient) and was accepted.
Results and discussion
According to the findings of research, the average age of the participants was 32 and the minimum and maximum was 15 and 64. Most of participants were 40 years old, 44.5% were men, and 55.5% were women. 48.6% were single and 51.4% were married. In addition, most participants had a BA/S. The mean use of the virtual social network was 180 min, and most participants use it more than 120 min. the minimum use of the virtual social network is half an hour and the maximum is 10 hours. Most participants (66.1%) use it fewer than 3 h from 24-hour a day. They are at least the member of 1 network and at most 6 ones. 76.4, 21.7, and 1.9% of participants are a member of Instagram, Telegram, and Twitter, respectively. Moreover, most participants (76.4%) are a member of Instagram.
According to the results of table 1, 19.8, 23.8, and 56.4% of participants have a negative attitude, intermediate attitude, and a positive attitude to the social network.
Table 1 Distribution percentage of participants based on thi3r attitude toward the virtual social network.
| Variable | mean | Median | mode | Variance | classes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| negative | intermediate | positive | |||||
| Attitude | 41.82 | 42 | 46 | 9.96 | 19.8 | 23.8 | 56.4 |
According to the results of table 2: 21.7, 40.5, and 37.9% of participants attend to their appearance and body in low, middle, and high level, respectively.
Generally, most participants (40.7%) attend to wearing style, and 57.4% to diet highly and 46.2% to appearance management and fitness and 39% to consumerism in the middle level.
Table 2 Distribution percentage of participants based on body management.
| Variable | Mean | median | mode | Variance | classes | ||
| low | middle | high | |||||
| Wearing style | 33.66 | 32 | 31 | 12.12 | 21.9 | 37.4 | 40.7 |
| Diet | 21.98 | 22 | 23 | 4.19 | 16 | 26.7 | 57.4 |
| Appearance management | 32.6 | 33 | 34 | 8.61 | 23.6 | 46.2 | 30.2 |
| Consumption | 23.78 | 23 | 19 | 7.56 | 31.2 | 39 | 29.8 |
| Body styles | 111 | 112.08 | 109 | 0.57 | 21.7 | 40.5 | 37.9 |
First hypothesis: there is a significant relationship between body management and use of virtual social network based on the Pearson test with 99% p-value and sig.
Level=0.000 (r=0.56). I
n other words, increasing the use of virtual social network increases the participants’ attention to the appearance and body. Moreover, there is a significant relationship between the use of virtual social network and wearing style
(r=0.45)
Appearance management
(r=0.47)
and consumption style
(r=0.47)
but they don’t influence on the diet.
Second hypothesis: there is a significant relationship between body management and membership in a virtual social network based on a Pearson test with 99% p-value and sig.
Level=0.000 (r=0.36)
In other words, increasing membership in the virtual social network increases the participants’ attention to the appearance and body. Moreover, there is a significant relationship between membership in virtual social network and wearing style
(r=0.31)
appearance management
(r=0.30)
and consumption style
(r=0.32)
and the most effect is for the consumption style.
Third hypothesis: there is a significant relationship between body management and tendency to assertiveness in a virtual social network based on the Pearson test with 99% p-value and sig.
Level=0.000 (r=0.47)
In other words, increasing tendency to assertiveness in the virtual social network increases the participants’ attention to the appearance and body. Moreover, there is a significant relationship between tendency to assertiveness in virtual social network and wearing style
(r=0.45)
appearance management
(r=0.37)
and consumption style
(r=0.36)
but it doesn’t influence on diet (Table 3).
Table 3 Pearson test between the use of virtual social network and body management.
| Variable | Wearing style | diet | Appearance management | Consumption style | Body management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The use of virtual social network | r | 0.457 | 0.028 | 0.415 | 0.476 | 0.560 |
| Sig. | 0.000 | 0.561 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | |
| Membership in network | r | 0.218 | 0.079 | 0.189 | 0.173 | 0.233 |
| Sig. | 0.000 | 0.108 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.001 | |
| Membership duration in network | r | 0.319 | 0.098 | 0.301 | 0.320 | 0.367 |
| Sig. | 0.000 | 0.045 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | |
| Assertiveness in the network | r | 0.455 | 0.137 | 0.376 | 0.367 | 0.477 |
| Sig. | 0.000 | 0.05 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | |
| No. | 420 | 420 | 420 | 420 | 420 | |
The virtual social network makes specific figures and symbols through assembling various positions and states which induce unprecedented lifestyles and so new selections. They provide new styles for life which lead to selecting a new lifestyle by selecting each of these behavioral patterns. The results of research show the relationship between the use of virtual social network and tendency to appearance and body (r=0.50) which are in agreement with the obtained results from Eydizadeh & Ahmadi Baloutaki (2017); Jafari & Fathi (2017); Forghani & Mohajeri (2017).
Jafari & Fathi (2017), believe that using digital media changes tastes in hair, clothing, nutrition and even entertainment and literature and fashion (one's lifestyle) by changing the taste of the digital, arousing users' attention to the body and appearance and style of nutrition, and digital. This change is first mental and then change in lifestyles and behavior. The virtual social network attract the users attention toward modernity, appearance, and apparent lifestyle based on changing consumer tastes and their tendency to consumerism and creating false needs, changing the style of clothing and fashion, paying attention to their appearance and inviting them to buy brand-specific clothing products and publishing frequent messages in the areas of beauty and fitness and ways to reach it, depicting the bodies of actors, athletes and celebrities, and introducing the ideal body.
According to Walters & Kop (2009), social networks influence the daily lives of individuals affecting all aspects of the physical and mental life of users, leading to the de-traditionalization and tendency to enjoyment. Users try to fill their user account even by fake images to increase their likes for the shared images from day-to-day.
Users of virtual space think to their lifestyles, wearing style, cloth, and event health by soaking in the various advertisement, sites, channels to suit every user's age and gender. Users’ profiles indicate that they always represent their wearing styles (wearing branded clothes, branded sportswear, sneakers, gymnastics, etc.), appearance style (lean or muscular body advertising), makeup style (hairstyles, hair color (no gender)), show Types of tattoos, jewelry, and nutrition styles (trendy Western and fast food or diet foods, etc.) in virtual space and divulge their lifestyle.
Meanwhile, economic actors and marketers didn’t neglect this space. All types of advertising channels and sites for beauty, beauty, health (with the motto of rejuvenating and correcting imperfections and getting healthier in the shortest time), a variety of restaurants and entertainment venues and mesons and hairdressers are faced in virtual space. Many citizens were uninformed of these things previously and this space opens the new world in front of their eyes that even users share their personal experiences to reach health, beauty, and recreation. In addition, business and knowledge owners (practitioners, marketers, and advertising companies) use this space to provide the mental field and consumption of citizenship.
Furthermore, results show the significant relationship between membership duration in virtual social network and Tehran citizens tendency to body management (r=0.36) that are in agreement with the obtained results from Sheikhadeh Esmaeili (2017); Forghani & Mohajeri (2017).
Virtual social networks play an important and principal role in the perceptions of humans about their surrounding and are considered as an important reference to select lifestyle for lack of proper and adapted information with needs of the community. According to Ravedrad & Gishinz (2017), a long-time presence on Instagram, sharing an image, and activity in this network is to show the body and appearance of users and reaching pleasure and popularity.
It is to be noticed that only using light virtual space doesn’t change users’ lives but attachment and participation in various networks bolds this effectiveness as some users are showing their bodies and taking models from advertising foods.
Moreover, there is a relationship between the tendency to assertiveness and body management (r=0.47). This is in agreement with the results of Sheikhzadeh Esmaeili (2017). Wallis (2011), believes that users divulge their appearance and privacy. They introduce themselves by changing the tone, changing their names and appearance, and using a popular or popular singer or singer or athlete, and the widespread propaganda of Western and modern life in this space has led Chinese women and young people to a luxury lifestyle. They waste their time and money. According to Klein (2013), idea, social network persuades women to use the advertising goods such as slimming pills, turning to a specific exercise, surgery, etc. by showing nutrition and traditional advertisement, and beautiful manner.
Conclusions
Showing and represent themselves in the virtual space as assertiveness in the real world is important for users and this issue is not related to the specific age group. The users found out it is tried to increase popularity and showing off the present condition. Some users compel other users to show off and participate in the competition by displaying luxurious lifestyles (cars, luxury homes, brand clothing, makeup, luxury amusements, and luxurious foods), or athletic or surgical organs. In a way that some users do anything to take the specific image and show themselves from making fun of themselves and your family to getting into debt and risking their own lives and that of others. They observe through the displaying lives in virtual pages that each user is like a director to produce and reproduce his/her life story in the virtual world based on the displayed lives in virtual pages. The result of living in the world that cruel and ugly is not obvious (such as turning girls and boys into tattoos and abnormal surgeries, consuming illegal drinks and tobacco online, publishing party videos, taking part in challenges, and making meaningless and vulgar dubsmash) reaching to the healthy life.
Unfortunately, users try to show off and represent their bodies not others and foreign missionaries with no fear in virtual networks like Instagram which is opposite of common law. This makes a problem when users show off their appearance popularity to obtain more popularity and followers in complex environments and view. They attract many people in this field by changing ideas and patterns and inviting them to identify and identify with the elements and roles presented in virtual spaces and ideals. As a result, others curiously try to find a place to stay in the limelight of users to imitate clothing, makeup, nutrition and so on. Social space has changed to a threat which can be an opportunity today because of weakness on cultural organizations and media weak performance and lack of providing proper model adapted by Iranian taste.
