Abstract: In modern society, social networks play a key role in the formation and dissemination of the ideal of physical attractiveness. This leads to the creation of online communities that idealize the cult of appearance. The influence of social media makes people perceive beauty as an internal standard, increasing attention and concern about their appearance. Participants compare themselves to the ideal, which lowers self-esteem and causes dissatisfaction with the body, can lead to depression, anxiety and eating disorders.
Purpose of the study : identify the features of the relationship between self–expression and the image of physical attractiveness among participants of online communities idealizing the cult of appearance.
Methods of the study: "Strategies of self-expression" (I.P. Shkuratova), "Three-factor scale of physical perfectionism" (A.B. Kholmogorova, A.A. Rachmanina), "Questionnaire of self-image" (O.A. Skugarevsky, S.V. Sivukha), "Test of attitude to eating" (D. Garner and others in the adaptation of O. A. Skugarevsky), "The Dutch questionnaire of eating behavior" (T. Strien in the adaptation: T.G. Voznesenskaya. Members of different online communities demonstrate similar self-promotion strategies. The interrelationships between the characteristics of self-expression and physical perfectionism in both studied samples have been established. It was revealed that there are general and specific features of the relationship between self-expression strategies and indicators of physical perfectionism and the image of one's own body among representatives of different online communities. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that for the first time the features of the relationship between self-presentation and the image of physical attractiveness in participants of online communities idealizing the cult of appearance are considered. The study expands the understanding of the psychological characteristics of respondents involved in different online communities of the cult of appearance.