THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SELF-IMAGE, SKIN AND THE WIDE USE OF SOCIAL INTERACTION TECHNOLOGIES IMPOSED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has expanded the use of social interaction technologies, connecting individuals virtually. This change has brought a new trend of dissatisfaction with appearance induced by social media, motivating the excessive search for aesthetic procedures. Objective: To assess the impact generated by the use of apps in the pandemic on self-image of respondents by biological sex, age and family income. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out with 350 participants, aged 18 years or older, residing in the state of São Paulo - Brazil, through online dissemination of an electronic form. The data obtained were tabulated and analyzed by chi-square and Cochran tests, crossing the variables income, age and biological sex. Results: Of the total, 69.71% claim changes in the way they see themselves physically during the pandemic; 58.3% report that apps influence their self-image, as 70.6% of the answers are women between 18-29 years old; 73.9% of women of all ages and incomes recognized the importance of skin for self-image, with this finding being discrepant among the age groups of men. Conclusions: The use of apps during the pandemic had an impact on the self-image of the participants, leading them to have a greater interest in obtaining future treatments and aesthetic procedures.