Eating Dilemmas of Female Influencers on Xiaohongshu in the Social Media Era: Between Self-Objectification and Self-Empowerment

Qinyi Wu

doi:10.54254/2753-7064/2025.NS29462

Communications in Humanities ResearchOpen access

Eating Dilemmas of Female Influencers on Xiaohongshu in the Social Media Era: Between Self-Objectification and Self-Empowerment

Research Article

Open Access

Eating Dilemmas of Female Influencers on Xiaohongshu in the Social Media Era: Between Self-Objectification and Self-Empowerment

Qinyi Wu ^1*

¹ Jiangsu University of Science and Technology

^*Corresponding author: 3142254465@qq.com

Published on 11 November 2025

CHR Vol.98

ISSN (Print): 2753-7072

ISSN (Online): 2753-7064

ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-531-8

ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-532-5

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Abstract

This study examines self-objectification and self-empowerment of female influencers sharing experiences of eating disorders on the digital platform Xiaohongshu. Employing a mixed-methods approach that combines qualitiative analysis with quantitative statistics, it systematically investigates their content production types, eating behavior patterns, and the operation logic of the platform. The findings reveal three primary modes of content production-“experience sharing,” “everyday documentation,” and “public-interest science communication”-most of which are intertwined with commercial elements. Their eating behaviors display a dual pattern of “excessive control-compensatory loss of control,” often accompanied by a high prevalence of both physiological and psychological comorbidities. The study uncovers the binary tension between “objectification and empowerment” in women’s bodily narratives on digital platforms, while also highlighting the alienating influence of commercial logics on eating disorder narratives. These insights offer valuable empirical reference for understanding eating disorder interventions and discourses on women’s bodies in the digital age.

Keywords:

social media, female influencers, self-objectification, self-empowerment

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References

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Cite this article

Wu,Q. (2025). Eating Dilemmas of Female Influencers on Xiaohongshu in the Social Media Era: Between Self-Objectification and Self-Empowerment. Communications in Humanities Research,98,12-18.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of ICIHCS 2025 Symposium: Literature as a Reflection and Catalyst of Socio-cultural Change

ISBN: 978-1-80590-531-8(Print) / 978-1-80590-532-5(Online)

Editor: Enrique Mallen, Abdullah Laghari

Conference website: https://www.icihcs.org/Nawabshah.html

Conference date: 15 November 2025

Series: Communications in Humanities Research

Volume number: Vol.98

ISSN: 2753-7064(Print) / 2753-7072(Online)

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