Compassionate Body Talk VR: Integrating Self-Disclosure and Embodied Self-Compassion to Transform Body Image

Contemporary body image concerns are increasingly shaped by pervasive social media exposure, where idealized and digitally manipulated images are predominant. These images promote unrealistic beauty standards that emphasize thinness, flawlessness, and aesthetic perfection. As a result, many individuals experience heightened body dissatisfaction, self-criticism, and isolation, struggling to reconcile their real bodies with idealized ones constantly encountered online. This is especially true for young women who show significantly greater visual attention to thin-ideal images on social media platforms, reinforcing body-related distress and sensitivity toward weight-related cue.