Beyond Screen Time: Distinct Pathways from Active and Passive Social Media Use to Cosmetic Surgery Desire

The influence of social media on individuals’ attitudes toward cosmetic surgery has received significant attention. However, how different patterns of social media engagement influence users’ cosmetic surgery desire and the underlying emotional and cognitive mechanisms remains underexplored. Drawing on a Chinese sample, this study addresses a notable gap in non-Western contexts where social media engagement and cosmetic surgery desire may differ significantly from Western populations. To address