The Power of Social Media to Our Mind and Body: : Study of social media’s effect on young female’s perception regarding fitness in Sweden

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to investigate the influences of social media in customer perception toward fitness. The main focus of this study are young females living in Sweden, age from 20 to 25 years old, with the purpose of gaining knowledge of social media’s role in their perception toward fitness & the phenomenon behind it.   The study can be a guideline for the fitness industry to gain customer insights in terms of what attitudes they hold and which platform has the most impact on social media users toward fitness-related contents.   The data for this study were collected from 17 semi- structured interviews in Jonkoping, Sweden. Qualitative research method was adopted in an exploratory nature with the aim of exploring the holistic picture of the topic. Content analysis with human coding was selected to acquire data for further explanations and formulation of recommended implications.   The result of this research shows the significant role of social media toward the perception of ideal body image. It also has been aided as a source of inspiration with regard of body transformation progress and a valuable tool for the suggestion of certain exercise & healthy eating. It must be noted that further research is suggested, as the finding is firmly placed on convenience sampling with specific demographic that can lead to certain traits on the use of social media sites.