Social Media’s Always-On Nature Exacerbates Teens’ Existing Body Image Concerns.

Everyone reading this blog has had a common experience: being a teenager. We also shared the experiences of middle and high school, where our self-esteem was often influenced by those around us—their clothing, speech, music choices, and the reinforcement of both positive and negative feedback we received. In summary, we are products of our environment, shaped by how we personalize our experiences. Positive experiences can reinforce our confidence, while negative ones can amplify our insecurities. We are psychological beings molded by our experiences, environment, words, and the visuals we encounter.

Social media adds another layer to this dynamic. Now, our kids’ environments are much larger, including anyone in the world who can influence them. Sure, we had Seventeen Magazine, for example, when we were growing up. But that was a one-way exposure to celebrities and content that appeared once a month and wasn’t interactive. In other words, Seventeen Magazine and its models couldn’t critique our fashion, hair, or body. Social media, however, allows this for our children.

In this article from Pittwire, one of Dr. Sophia Choukas-Bradley’s papers was rejected in 2014 with the rationale, “Why would we study things online when we already know what happens offline? This is just the same thing in a slightly different form.” I remember those times. By 2014, I was two years into doing presentations for parents, counselors, teachers, and other professionals. It seemed too early then to academically link social media to mental health and body image struggles. But working with youth, I knew they were affected by the 24/7 availability of likes and comments about their bodies. As humans, we are impacted by what is said to us.

I enjoyed reading this article and found this quote particularly true: “Through her research at Pitt’s Teen and Young Adult (TAYA) lab, Choukas-Bradley has shown that teens’ constant worry about being judged by an online audience — known as appearance-related social media consciousness (ASMC) — not only magnifies body image concerns but can also lead to disordered eating and depressive symptoms.”

As parents, we know our teenagers’ self-esteem is influenced by their peers and environment. Today, social media amplifies this by creating a vast, interactive space where teens constantly seek validation through likes and comments, impacting their body image and mental health. Unlike the one-way exposure of magazines in our youth, social media subjects our children to continuous feedback that can magnify insecurities. Research from Pitt’s Teen and Young Adult (TAYA) lab highlights how this online judgment, or appearance-related social media consciousness (ASMC), can lead to disordered eating and depressive symptoms, emphasizing the need for awareness and guidance in navigating social media’s impact.  ~ Ryan