Study Links 7.7 Years of Instagram Use to Stronger Stranger-Face Ownership in VR
Updated
Updated · ZME Science · Jun 22
Study Links 7.7 Years of Instagram Use to Stronger Stranger-Face Ownership in VR
2 articles · Updated · ZME Science · Jun 22
Summary
A 95-person VR study found young adults with longer Instagram histories were more likely to feel a stranger’s synchronized virtual face was their own.
An average 7.7 years on Instagram predicted stronger facial ownership and self-location, while daily time on the app did not, pointing to cumulative exposure rather than short-term use.
Researchers said the result supports a “Digital Erosion of Bodily Identity” hypothesis, in which years of selfies, editing and face comparison may make facial identity more malleable.
Only 12 participants reported using beauty filters, and that exploratory subgroup showed more agency over a virtual body rather than the face illusion itself.
The authors cautioned the cross-sectional study was small and mostly White, European and university-educated, and said future work should track more diverse groups over time, especially adolescents.