The Application of Human-Computer Interaction in Alleviating Appearance Anxiety Among Adolescents

In the digital era of pervasive social media, adolescents' appearance anxiety is rising steadily. Repeated exposure to idealized appearance content and objectifying online assessments complicates body image development and imposes psychological pressure. Consequently, this intensified focus on digital self-presentation often translates into a diminished sense of self-worth and an increased risk of developing long-term psychological maladjustment. Studies link appearance anxiety to reduced self-worth, social avoidance, depression, and higher eating disorder risk. However, most interventions remain conventional psychological counseling, neglecting the potential of digital technology. This HCI-focused case study explores technology-assisted interventions for adolescents, integrating Social Comparison, Objectification, and Cognitive Behavioral Theory to propose an individual, school, and family-level HCI-based model. Research shows AI chatbots, virtual appearance browsers, and media-literacy interactive systems can alleviate anxiety by altering self-objectification and appearance-based social comparison, with intervention effects mediated by individual differences like appearance perfectionism and body appreciation. To enhance objectivity, EEG is used to measure neural responses to appearance-related stimuli pre- and post-intervention, providing physiological evidence for HCI-based interventions.