AI-Powered Beauty Perceptions and Social Media Awareness Regarding Appearance on Social Appearance Anxiety in Patients Undergoing Cosmetic Surgery

Overview

This study aims to examine the relationship between social media use, perceptions of AI-generated beauty standards, and social appearance anxiety among individuals planning aesthetic surgery. The increasing exposure to idealized and digitally modified appearances through social media and generative artificial intelligence may shape individuals' beauty perceptions, increase appearance-related comparisons, and influence expectations regarding aesthetic surgical procedures. By evaluating social media usage characteristics, attitudes toward AI-generated beauty standards, and social appearance anxiety during the preoperative period, this study seeks to identify psychosocial factors that may affect surgical decision-making and expectations. The findings are expected to contribute to the identification of individuals at psychosocial risk, the development of realistic surgical expectations, and the planning of appropriate nursing counseling and psychosocial support interventions.

With the proliferation of social media platforms in recent years, individuals are exposed to idealized body and facial appearances more than ever before. Filtered, edited, and perfected images shared on these platforms can influence how individuals evaluate their own appearance, increasing social appearance anxiety. Digital environments, where appearance-focused content is heavily shared, create a breeding ground for individuals to compare themselves to others and internalize unrealistic beauty standards. Developing generative artificial intelligence technologies have further advanced this process. AI-powered applications can quickly alter users' facial and body features, creating idealized and often unattainable beauty appearances. This situation reshapes individuals' aesthetic expectations, increasing their dissatisfaction with their current appearance and affecting their expectations regarding surgical interventions. Identifying the psychosocial impacts of these technologies, especially in individuals planning aesthetic surgery, will contribute to a more holistic evaluation of the surgical decision-making process. Although aesthetic surgical procedures have different clinical indications, appearance, body image, self-esteem, and social life are significantly affected in both patient groups. Evaluating patients' social media usage characteristics, attitudes towards the AI-generated beauty standards, and social appearance anxieties in the pre-surgical period can contribute to the formation of realistic surgical expectations, the identification of individuals at psychosocial risk, and the planning of necessary nursing counseling and psychosocial support programs. Although there are studies in the literature examining the relationship between social media use, body image, and the desire for aesthetic surgery, there are no studies that evaluate the perception of beauty shaped by artificial intelligence, social media awareness related to appearance, and social appearance anxiety within the same model. Therefore, it is believed that the planned study will fill an important gap in the literature by revealing the psychosocial consequences of the effects of artificial intelligence and digital media in aesthetic surgeries and will provide evidence-based contributions to surgical nursing practices.