**4. The bi‐directionality of media exposure and body dissatisfaction**

Despite the fact that they can contribute to body dissatisfaction, mass media featuring thin ideal images are popular forms of media. Many women and men choose to expose themselves to idealized body images as featured in the media. This apparent paradox has received little attention to date in the literature. Recently, we examined whether individuals dissatisfied with their bodies are actually more likely to seek out media featuring images of idealized bodies [17]. We hypothesized that the correlation between thin‐ideal media exposure and body dissatisfaction is in fact bi‐directional, and that people who feel bad about their appearance may actually consume higher levels of such media. It was predicted that young women who were induced to feel dissatisfied with their bodies would gravi‐ tate toward media featuring thin‐idealized content. In two experimental studies, a negative body image rumination task was used to induce body dissatisfaction. Participants were then asked to select their choice of different media (appearance‐related versus non‐appearance‐ related) for an ostensible market research task. We found that young women who had just ruminated about being unhappy with their bodies disproportionately selected magazine or online video media that featured thin, idealized body imagery over non‐appearance‐related media. Young women who had been instructed to think about not liking their bodies then gravitated toward thinness‐related media that focused on dieting, fitness, health, and beauty. These findings warrant further replication, but suggest that people who are unhappy with their appearance may turn to media that feature thin, beautiful models, possibly for advice or information, or to see advertised products aimed at bringing aspects of one's appearance closer to the perceived ideal [17].
