The Longitudinal Pathway from Body Appearance Perfectionism to Social Appearance Anxiety: The Mediating Role of Digital Filter Use and Moderating Role of Fear of Missing Out

In recent years, increased exposure to unrealistic beauty standards on social media has been associated with growing concerns about appearance and psychological distress among adolescents. However, the mechanisms underlying this relationship have been less explored. The aim of this study was to investigate the longitudinal relationship between Body Appearance Perfectionism (BAP) and Social Appearance Anxiety (SAA) among adolescent girls, and the mediating role of the Face Filter Use (FFU), as well as the moderating role of Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), in this relationship was considered. This study was conducted with a longitudinal design on 443 female high school students in Tehran, Iran Completed standard instruments related to BAP, FFU, FoMO and SAA. The results of the analyses showed that BAP significantly predicted SAA over time. Also, the FFU as a mediating variable significantly explained this relationship; such that individuals with higher levels of BAP used more FFU which could lead to increased SAA. Furthermore, the findings showed that FoMO had significant moderating roles in these pathways, such that the magnitude of the relationship between BAP and FFU, and ultimately SAA, were stronger at higher levels of FoMO. Overall, this study suggests that BAP could act as an important risk factor for SAA in adolescents, and this effect is exacerbated by behaviors related to digital image management, particularly the use of appearance filters. Furthermore, the role of FoMO in amplifying these relationships highlights the importance of considering sociocognitive factors in the design of preventive and educational programs.