In todays society, social media is a large part of everyday life. Studies in Sweden show that young people consume a large amount of the total use of social media. They highlight that young women feel anxiety and stress about their own body image, it also shows that there is a lack of research on how young men perceive their bodies in Sweden. The purpose of this study is to investigate how young men in high school relate to body ideals in Sweden, through their use of social media. As well as how they believe that social media produces body ideals and how body image is affected by this. To carry this out, six men from high school between the ages of 16-19 have been interviewed using a qualitative interview method. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the purpose of the study, both their own presentations have been reported, as well as how they think others are presented. By using the theories "Presentation of self", "Framing theory" and the "Uses and gratification", the empirical material has been able to be analyzed.

The study was based on these questions: "How do male high school students relate to the use of social media?", "How do male high school students feel that the use of social media affects their own body image?" "How are body ideals portrayed according to male high school youth on social media?". The results of the study show that all interviewees have a negative view of body ideals portrayed on social media. Although they describe that body ideals influence body image, the interviewees describe that they would not want to change anything about their body because of a body ideal. All interviewees describe that the influence mainly comes from pictures on Instagram. The use of social media shows that interviewees are active on social media between one and two hours a day, mainly on Instagram or Snapchat. This is to fulfill needs such as communication and information. According to the interviewees, ideals are about performing on social media, by training and comparing yourself to other men. All also admitted that it is important to show the best side of oneself on social media in order to emulate the ideal that is portrayed on social media. This contributes to the fact that social media affects young men´s body image negatively and that previous research results agree with the results of these studies.