Social Media Use, Body Image, and Self-Esteem Among Chinese Adolescents: Experimental and Survey Data (N = 1,113)

This dataset contains data from two studies investigating the relationship between social media use and self-esteem among Chinese adolescents, with a focus on the role of positive body image. Study 1 (Experiment): 152 adolescents aged 11–14 participated in a 2×2 between-subjects experiment examining the effects of viewing ideal-body vs. average-body images on self-esteem. Data includes pre- and post-exposure self-esteem scores, image condition, and demographics. Study 2 (Survey): 961 adolescents (Mage = 14.29) completed questionnaires assessing daily social media use, positive body image (BAS-2), and self-esteem (Rosenberg Scale). Data were used to test the mediating role of positive body image. Both studies were approved by the institutional ethics committee. Data are anonymized and suitable for secondary analysis.