Psychosocial Interaction between Social Media, Personal Care, and Communication

Cyprus Turkish Journal of Psychiatry & Psychology Vol.8 Issue.2

Doi:10.35365/ctjpp.26.2.02

RESEARCH ARTICLE / ARAŞTIRMA YAZISI

Psychosocial Interaction between Social Media, Personal Care, and Communication

Sosyal Medya ile Kişisel Bakım ve İletişim Arasındaki Psikososyal Etkileşim

Dursun Yılmaz¹

Abstract:

This study investigates the psychosocial relationship between social media engagement, personal care routines, and social communication practices. Using a quantitative cross-sectional survey design, data were collected online from 400 participants aged 18 and over in Turkey. An original scale comprising three dimensions-personal care routines, appearance satisfaction, and social communication effects-demonstrated strong reliability and construct validity. The findings indicate that social media significantly influences both grooming frequency and satisfaction with appearance. While 68.2% of women reported being affected by social media content, the rate among men was 38.3%. Women engaged more frequently in personal care practices, whereas men reported higher levels of social anxiety related to skin concerns. Higher educational attainment was associated with lower susceptibility to social media influence, suggesting a protective role of media literacy. Occupational identity and income level further shaped perceptions of appearance, with teachers and beauty-sector professionals reporting more regular self-care routines. The results are consistent with theories of self-presentation, social comparison, social learning, and bodily capital. Overall, the study demonstrates that social media reshapes body image, self-presentation strategies, and confidence in social communication, while the emergence of appearance-related anxiety among men points to shifting gender norms in digital culture.

Keywords: Social media, Personal care, Gender, Social communication, Self-presentation, Body image

¹Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University, Tokat Vocational School of Health Services, Department of Hair Care and Beauty Services, Tokat, Türkiye.

Address of Correspondence/Yazışma Adresi: Dursun Yılmaz, Tokat Vocational School of Health Services, Taşlıçiftlik Area / Tokat, Türkiye, E-mail: [email protected].

Date of Received/Geliş Tarihi: 15.07.2025, Date of Revision/Düzeltme Tarihi: 22.01.2026, Date of Acceptance/Kabul Tarihi:23.01.2026, Date of Online Publication/Çevirimiçi Yayın Tarihi: 15.06.2026

Citing/Referans Gösterimi: Yılmaz, D. (2026). Psychosocial interaction between social media, personal care, and communication, Cyprus Turkish Journal of Psychiatry & Psychology, 8(2), 122-130, Doi:10.35365/ctjpp.26.2.02

© 2026 The Author(s). Published by Cyprus Mental Health Institute / Cyprus Turkish Journal of Psychiatry and Psychology (www.ktppdergisi.com). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/