Getting Anxious while Retouching Photos? Exploring the Relationships between Affordances of Photo Retouching Applications and Appearance Anxiety

Abstract

Appearance anxiety, or the fear of others' negative evaluation of their body shape or physique, has become an increasing concern. The development of mobile devices and photo retouching applications have made it easier to create flattering photos. However, little research explores how they contribute to appearance anxiety. Drawing on the agency model of customization, this study explores how the affordances of photo retouch applications affect appearance anxiety. Using Meitu, a popular photo retouch application in China, as an example and drawing on results from an online survey among its users (N=136), this study showed that the interactivity, modality, and navigability affordances of Meitu were positively correlated with the feeling of self as source, which contributed to people's negative emotions about appearance. These findings add to understanding the mechanisms underlying the potential effects of photo retouching software use on appearance anxiety.