"Why don't I look like her?" How adolescent girls view social media and its connection to body image.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Adolescent girls appear more vulnerable to experiencing mental health difficulties from social media use than boys. The presence of sexualized images online is thought to contribute, through increasing body dissatisfaction among adolescent girls. Sexual objectification through images may reinforce to adolescent girls that their value is based on their appearance. This study explored how sexualized images typically found on social media might influence adolescent girls' mental health, in positive and/or negative ways.

Methods

In-depth interviews were conducted with girls aged 14-17 years (n = 24) in Perth, Western Australia. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results

Participants identified body image as a major concern, reporting negative appearanc

SUBMITTER: Papageorgiou A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9238066 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature