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The Perfect Storm: A Developmental–Sociocultural Framework for the Role of Social Media in Adolescent Girls’ Body Image Concerns and Mental Health

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Sophia Choukas-Bradley
Sophia Choukas-Bradley
Sophia Choukas-Bradley
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Savannah R. Roberts at University of Pittsburgh
Savannah R. Roberts
Anne J Maheux at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Anne J Maheux
Jacqueline Nesi at Brown University
Jacqueline Nesi
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Abstract and Figures

In this theoretical review paper, we provide a developmental-sociocultural framework for the role of social media (SM) in adolescent girls' body image concerns, and in turn, depressive symptoms and disordered eating. We propose that the features of SM (e.g., idealized images of peers, quantifiable feedback) intersect with adolescent developmental factors (e.g., salience of peer relationships) and sociocultural gender socialization processes (e.g., societal over-emphasis on girls' and women's physical appearance) to create the "perfect storm" for exacerbating girls' body image concerns. We argue that, ultimately, body image concerns may be a key mechanism underlying associations between adolescent girls' SM use and mental health. In the context of proposing this framework, we provide empirical evidence for how SM may increase adolescent girls' body image concerns through heightening their focus on (1) other people's physical appearance (e.g., through exposure to idealized images of peers, celebrities, and SM influencers; quantifiable indicators of approval); and (2) their own appearance (e.g., through appearance-related SM consciousness; exposure to idealized self-images; encouraging over-valuing of appearance; and peer approval of photos/videos). Our framework highlights new avenues for future research on adolescent girls' SM use and mental health, which recognize the central role of body image.
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Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review (2022) 25:681–701
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-022-00404-5
The Perfect Storm: ADevelopmental–Sociocultural Framework
fortheRole ofSocial Media inAdolescent Girls’ Body Image Concerns
andMental Health
SophiaChoukas‑Bradley1,2 · SavannahR.Roberts2 · AnneJ.Maheux2 · JacquelineNesi3,4
Accepted: 1 July 2022 / Published online: 16 July 2022
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2022
Abstract
In this theoretical review paper, we provide a developmental–sociocultural framework for the role of social media (SM) in
adolescent girls’ body image concerns, and in turn, depressive symptoms and disordered eating. We propose that the features
of SM (e.g., idealized images of peers, quantifiable feedback) intersect with adolescent developmental factors (e.g., salience
of peer relationships) and sociocultural gender socialization processes (e.g., societal over-emphasis on girls’ and women’s
physical appearance) to create the “perfect storm” for exacerbating girls’ body image concerns. We argue that, ultimately,
body image concerns may be a key mechanism underlying associations between adolescent girls’ SM use and mental health.
In the context of proposing this framework, we provide empirical evidence for how SM may increase adolescent girls’ body
image concerns through heightening their focus on (1) other people’s physical appearance (e.g., through exposure to idealized
images of peers, celebrities, and SM influencers; quantifiable indicators of approval); and (2) their own appearance (e.g.,
through appearance-related SM consciousness; exposure to idealized self-images; encouraging over-valuing of appearance;
and peer approval of photos/videos). Our framework highlights new avenues for future research on adolescent girls’ SM use
and mental health, which recognize the central role of body image.
Keywords Social media· Body image· Adolescence· Gender· Depression· Disordered eating
Introduction
Smart phones and social media are central to adolescents’
lives. In 2018, 95% of U.S. teens reported having access
to a smartphone, with smartphone ownership nearly uni-
versal across gender, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic
background (Anderson & Jiang, 2018a). One of the most
common activities in which teens engage via smartphones
is social media use; according to Common Sense Media,
70% of U.S. teenagers report using social media (SM) mul-
tiple times per day (Rideout & Robb, 2018). Rates of mental
health symptoms, including depression (Keyes etal., 2019),
eating disorders (Galmiche etal., 2019), and suicidal idea-
tion and behavior (CDC, 2017) have risen among adoles-
cents, particularly girls, in recent years. In addition, recent
revelations, first reported by the Wall Street Journal (“The
Facebook Files,” 2021), have called attention to social media
companies’ internal research findings suggesting that their
products may negatively impact the mental health of teens,
and particularly teen girls. These factors have contributed to
high-profile and controversial public debates regarding the
role of SM use in contributing to adolescent mental health,
including a series of congressional hearings and legislative
proposals aiming to curb the potential negative influence of
SM use on teens (Blumenthal & Blackburn, 2022).
Despite conflicting findings across studies examining
associations between social media use and mental health,
a consensus is emerging that adolescent girls have differ-
ent experiences with SM than boys. Notably, highly visual
* Sophia Choukas-Bradley
schoukas@gmail.com
1 Department ofPsychology, University ofPittsburgh, 3137
Sennott Square, 210 South Bouquet Street (Main office, 3rd
floor), Pittsburgh, PA15213, USA
2 Department ofPsychological andBrain Sciences, University
ofDelaware, 105 The Green, Newark, DE19716, USA
3 Department ofPsychiatry andHuman Behavior, Warren
Alpert Medical School ofBrown University, 222 Richmond
St, Providence, RI02903, USA
4 Rhode Island Hospital, 1 Hoppin St., Suite 204, Providence,
RI02903, USA
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.
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Introduction Frequent social media use among adolescents is associated with depressive symptoms, though prior work has overwhelmingly used cross‐sectional designs and focused on “screen time.” Subjective social media experiences, such as the concern with one's physical appearance on social media, may be more relevant to adolescents' depressive symptoms than mere frequency of use. Appearance‐related social media consciousness (ASMC) is the preoccupation with one's physical attractiveness in social media photos and has been associated with depressive symptoms above and beyond frequency of social media use in prior cross‐sectional work. Methods In this brief report, we assessed this association longitudinally over 1 year within a diverse sample of highschool adolescents in the Southeastern US (n = 163, M age = 16.19; 55.8% girls; 44.8% White, 23.9% Black, 26.4% Hispanic/Latinx; 49.7% received free or reduced‐price lunch). Results Baseline ASMC was associated with higher depressive symptoms 1 year later, even when controlling for time spent on social media. Although girls reported higher levels of ASMC, associations were similar for adolescent boys and girls. No evidence was found that heightened depressive symptoms at baseline were associated with higher ASMC 1 year later. Conclusions The findings highlight the importance of physical appearance concerns on social media—above and beyond the frequency of use—in the development of depressive symptoms among adolescents. Implications for future research to examine the role of subjective social media experiences in adolescents' depressive symptoms are discussed.
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Social media has rapidly transformed the ways in which adolescents socialize and interact with the world, which has contributed to ongoing public debate about whether social media is helping or harming adolescents. The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified both the challenges and opportunities of adolescents’ social-media use, which necessitates revisiting the conversation around teens and social media. In this article, we discuss key aspects of adolescent social-media use and socioemotional well-being and outline how these issues may be amplified in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We use this as a springboard to outline key future research directions for the field, with the goal of moving away from reductionist approaches and toward a more nuanced perspective to understand the who, what, and when of social-media use and its impact on adolescent well-being. We conclude with a commentary on how psychological science can inform the translation of research to provide evidence-based recommendations for adolescent social-media use.
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Body image and internalization of appearance ideals in Black women: An update and call for culturally-sensitive research
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Extant research on body image supports sociocultural theories emphasizing the internalization of societal pressures to attain the thin-ideal, as well as other White or Eurocentric ideals that are predominant in mainstream media. While earlier research suggests that Black women are less likely to report body dissatisfaction and thin-ideal internalization compared to women of other racial backgrounds, recent studies argue that most measures of body image and appearance ideals may not be accurate assessments of body dissatisfaction for this population. In this paper, we summarize the literature over the past two decades on body image and appearance ideals among cisgender Black girls and women and discuss the applications of well-established sociocultural theories of body dissatisfaction. We additionally highlight existing gaps in culturally-sensitive theory and assessment tools and consider the benefits of applying intersectionality-informed research. We lastly propose future directions in research, assessment, and intervention to develop more culturally-sensitive approaches to identifying, assessing, and addressing body dissatisfaction among Black girls and women. This paper encourages researchers to apply culturally-sensitive and intersectionality-informed theory to improve efforts in assessing early warning signs of body dissatisfaction and developing effective interventions for this population.
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