How Gay Men Discuss Their Bodies Online

Research shows that gay men are highly susceptible to media effects on body image. A considerable amount of attention has been dedicated to the traditional media content that might have a negative effect on the way gay men perceive their bodies. However, far less attention has been given to the potentially harmful body-related content gay men are exposed to on the Internet. The present study is the first systematic content analysis of body-related posts gay men create and are exposed to on non-dating online social platforms. We analyzed the textual and visual elements of gay men's body-related posts (N = 600) across four social media platforms popular among gay men to examine what and how gay men disclose about their bodies.