Video-response Study on Body Image and Self-Esteem

Yasna ran an exploratory study to see how UK adults reflect on their teenage self-perception and the aspects of their appearance they wished they could have changed. With Yasna’s video response feature, participants shared candid reflections on camera, revealing hesitation, subtle gestures, and emotional nuances that text alone could never capture. Every sigh, smile, or pause added depth and a strong emotional charge to the insights.

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Objective

To uncover the emotions, memories, and social influences that shaped people’s self-perception, and to identify how brands can speak about beauty and self-worth. Conveying realness, inclusivity and empathy is a must.

Yasna’s Approach

Yasna interviewed 100 adults across the UK using video responses, letting participants recount how they viewed themselves as teenagers and what they wished they could change about their looks.

Beyond capturing rich qualitative stories, Yasna’s analysis also quantified patterns across gender and age, delivering a 360° view of how people experience and reflect on beauty with the video responses bringing these insights vividly to life.

Key Emotional Insights, Told Through Video

1. The Early Roots of Insecurity Coming from Childhood

   Many adults traced their insecurities back to early social experiences like teasing, isolation, or comparison. These memories often carried emotion even decades later.

   “I used to get bullied in school because I was the quiet type and I couldn't stand up for myself... I made more friends and got into sports.” Male, 32

   “Many of the insecurities I have today stem from being bullied for my traits as a child, or perceiving my differences from other girls as ugly or unappealing.” Female, 27

2. The Culture of Comparison

   Respondents recalled how media ideals, family comments, and peer beauty standards shaped how they saw themselves, especially girls and young women.

   “They all had a trait that the other girls wanted.” Male, 48

   “I wanted to be tanner. I wanted to be skinnier. I felt like all my friends were prettier than me... I did try to straighten my hair. I remember using self-tanner.” Female, 36

3. From Insecurity to Self-Acceptance

   Several participants described how they grew out of self-criticism through age, confidence, and self-compassion.

   “We’re so used to our own reflections that we don’t see our beauty in other people’s eyes.” Female, 48

   “There will always be somebody who finds you beautiful. But first things first, you need to find yourself beautiful.” Female, 31

   “It's not particularly relatable to me now because... I learned to appreciate how wonderful everything is, and to be happy in my own skin.” Female, 54

4. A Shared Hope for the Next Generation

   Across all groups, participants voiced empathy and a collective wish for children, especially girls, to grow up free from appearance-based judgment.

   “Every girl should be made to feel happy with how they look and have so much self-esteem that they don’t wish to be anyone but themselves.” Female, 37

   “It's sad to see that girls at this young age are feeling insecure. I wish we could do better as people.” Male, 25

   “It's really concerning that girls are growing up thinking they're not good enough, even though they're beautiful people.” Female, 41

Why Video Interviews Changed Everything

Without seeing faces, emotions like the nervous laughter before a confession, the quiet relief of realizing others felt the same would have stayed hidden. Yasna’s video response feature turned abstract data into human empathy, revealing the emotional language of self-worth and acceptance.

Beauty brands and many other different niches can get a whole variety of insights with AI-powered market research tools like Yasna:

Video-first emotional insight

Real faces, real voices, real reactions captured in unscripted video responses showing how consumers actually feel.

Instant qualitative intelligence

Illustrative quotes, story-driven insights, and theme breakdowns that reveal lived experiences, not just checkbox opinions.

Boardroom-ready quant data

Percentages, behavioral prevalence, demographic splits and export-ready visuals like tables are included in the report.

Segmentation by gender, age, market

You can see how feelings and opinions change between men and women, younger and older people, and people in different locations.

Fast delivery and big scale

Hundreds of interviews can be analyzed in days, not weeks, without sacrificing depth.

If you’d like to learn more about the video interviews feature and other capabilities of Yasna, we invite you to sign up for a private demo with our research expert, who will answer all your questions. Book your session today.