How does Social Media Affect Teenagers’ Social Image?

Introduction

Social media forms a significant technology that teenagers interact with every day. The modern world relies on technology for different purposes. Social media’s roles include socialization, connecting with friends, and keeping in touch with the occurrences in the world. The advancement of technology creates severe impacts on the lives of teenagers. Today, teenagers spend a significant amount of time on social media. The results are devastating because social media can contribute to feelings of loneliness among young people. Besides, they can isolate themselves and idolize celebrities. While society is rapidly changing, teenagers suffer depression, anxiety, and the fear of missing out because of their increased use of social media.

Body of Work

Social media has both positive and negative impacts. Excessive use of social media creates body image concerns, leading to eating disorders among teenagers. The bio-psychosocial framework illustrates how social media influences teenagers to develop negative perceptions about themselves. Rachel et al. demonstrate the role of the bio-psychosocial model, “acknowledging the role of biological inﬂuences on body image and eating concerns” (399). Most of these teenagers adopt harmful habits, such as dietary constraints, which affect their health. Besides, many teenagers are likely to commit suicide because they fail to achieve the idealized body celebrities post on social media. Therefore, social media has a dark side that overstimulates teenagers and influences them to embrace negative eating behavior.

Young people tend to compare their body images when using social media. High visual social media increases the likelihood of teenagers developing eating disorders. They compare themselves to models and filtered photographs of their celebrities. When the results do not match their actual body size, they develop negative body image and low self-esteem. Davide et al. reveal that teenagers who use highly visual social media are at high risk of increased self-esteem issues, which might lead to psychological adjustment (63). Therefore, high visual social media leads teenagers to internalize their guilty about poor body image and the concerns that they are missing out on the ideal beauty.

Annotated Bibliography

Rodgers, Rachel F., et al. “A biopsychosocial model of social media use and body image concerns, disordered eating, and muscle-building behaviors among adolescent girls and boys.” Journal of Youth and Adolescence, vol. 49, no. 2, 2020, pp. 399-409.

The article examines the relationship between social media use and body image concerns. Teenagers who extensively use social media tend to adopt harmful behaviors. Authors rely on the bio-psychosocial framework to conclude that social media leads teenagers to self-esteem issues, depression, and body image internalization. The study involved an explorative survey of the research. The researchers used a sample of 681 adolescents who indicated different negative images they created after continued use of social media. The effectiveness of this approach is the validity and reliability of data leading to the conclusion that social media contributes to body image issues. The study’s findings reveal the myriad negative impacts that female teenagers manifest. There is a correlation between disordered eating, body dissatisfaction, and social media influence on idealized body image. Thus, the bio-psychosocial framework is critical in conceptualizing relationships between body image perception and social media use. The source is relevant to the study because it offers direct and concise information on the correlations between the fear of missing out and teenagers’ continued use of social media.

Bell, Beth T. “You take fifty photos, delete forty-nine and use one”: A qualitative study of adolescent image-sharing practices on social media.” International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction, vol. 20, 2019, pp. 64-71.

The article is international journal research focusing on children and computers. The author has credibility on issues of adolescents’ mindsets and perceptions. Thus, the study uses the exploratory qualitative method to understand image sharing on social media among teenagers. Thus, the study’s objective is to examine the drive behind the number of images young people share and view across social media platforms. Thirty-Five adolescents participated in the study through semi-structured focus groups. The mean effects of the study resonate with the belief that social media user group tends to achieve various thematic areas. The study’s validity focuses on how the authors identified that teenagers present and view their physical selves, maintain offline relationships, and engage in perceptions that affect their mental health. The source is suitable for advancing research on the negative influence of social media. The themes identify the digital elements to show the complexity and diversity of adolescent image-sharing practices. The study’s conclusion is effective because it considers the context through which relational development, identity, and peer cultural norms emerge in driving the addiction of teenagers to social media. The authors confirm that in cases where teenagers post a nude picture of themselves with a tattoo, they tend to monitor likes and comments, which can jeopardize their mental health. From the study, it emerges that social media has replaced the role of a parent and thus exposed them to antisocial behavior.

Marengo, Davide, et al. “Highly-visual social media and internalizing symptoms in adolescence: The mediating role of body image concerns.” Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 82, 2018, pp. 63-69.

The study examines the impact of high visual social media such as Snapchat, Instagram, and YouTube among adolescents. The authors indicate that highly visual social media contribute to teenagers’ body image concerns and poor mental health issues. The significance of this source rests on its ability to investigate the association between the time young teenagers spend on social media and the internalizing symptoms about their body image concerns. The study used data from Northern Italy. Therefore, the study is suitable

because it identifies the association between the time teenagers spend using social media and the challenges they have about their self-esteem. The results outline the positive relationship between highly visual social media and the internalizing symptoms that compound body image problems. The authors have credibility in human biology, having engaged in previous research about the internalizing nature of depression and self-perception. Therefore, the article is relevant to the extensive study about teenagers’ relationship with social media use and increased poor self-worth.

Thorisdottir, Ingibjorg Eva, et al. “Active and passive social media use and symptoms of anxiety and depressed mood among Icelandic adolescents.” Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, vol. 22, no. 8, 2019, pp. 535-542.

The authors highlight the dramatic increase in teenage use of social media platforms. The objective is to examine emotional health through active and passive social media. Although there is no data on how active or passive social media use influences young people’s emotional distress, the researchers analyzed survey data from Icelandic adolescents. The objective was to document the prevalence rate of social media use and investigate users’ relationship with anxiety and mood depression symptoms. The findings revealed that using social media passively relates to increased symptoms of depressed mood among teachers.

Similarly, using social media activity led to increased symptoms of self-esteem. The protective approaches should encourage young people to access peer support so that they acknowledge their body image and overcome social comparison. The study’s findings confirm that a teenager’s time on social media connects to his poor psychological well-being. The majority of teenagers have reported symptoms of depression and anxiety. The article indicates that social media’s effect on emotional distress differed by age, gender, and the time spent on social media. The article is suitable for the research because it indicates the relationship model of the mediating types of social media and how they contribute to emotional distress. I will use this source because it contributes to the psychosocial dimensions of social media and the psychological distress it creates.

Saiphoo, A. N., & Vahedi, Z. A meta-analytic review of the relationship between social media use and body image disturbance. Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 101, 2019, pp. 259-275.

The study captures the broader objective of investigating the relationship between psychological well-being and social media use. The study’s exploratory nature constructs a practical approach that examines how the similarity of social media to traditional media offers unique opportunities for social comparisons. The source’s credibility is that it associates body image as a variable interest. The authors used literature that captured mixed findings on social media’s impact on teenagers’ negative self-image. The meta-analysis provides a quantitative review of cross-sectional research to define the link between body image and social media. The randomized control trial helped in achieving the reliability and validity of data. The study indicated a positive relationship between the social media use of psychosocial comparison of body images. Therefore, the dimension of body image, social media use, and the dimension of grouping are significant moderators of the relationship. The study is suitable for the overall research because it establishes critical factors that can provide a pedestal for assessing teenagers’ social media use, average period, and the different manifestation of symptoms. I will use the source because it will enrich the study by providing a balanced scope on the issue of social media and its psychological impacts on teenagers.

Conclusion

Increased exposure to social media is detrimental to the mental health of teenagers. The fear of meaning emerges as the greatest challenge contributing to poor self-image. There is a need for a collective approach to addressing the problems. Regulations on social media use must focus on allowing teenagers to consume appropriate content. Today, social media presents other anxiety symptoms, such as pressure to belong. The fear of missing out manifests a certain kind of addition that creates more self-image problems. Therefore, most social media addicts look for validation and approval. There is a need to encourage teenagers to limit their social media use and engage in honest social relationships. Since creative minds have not developed, there is a need for care on how teenagers use social media. Social media communication has adverse effects on teenagers. The more they idealize celebrities, the more they want the ideal body image. Thus, such teenagers start starving themselves and feeling guilty over their natural bodies. As a result, they start poor eating habits such as bingeing, bulimia, and anorexia. Overall, teenagers need guidance on using social media without suffering the negative impacts.

Works Cited

Marengo, Davide, et al. “Highly-visual social media and internalizing symptoms in adolescence: The mediating role of body image concerns.” Computers in Human Behavior 82 (2018): 63-69.

Rodgers, Rachel F., et al. “A biopsychosocial model of social media use and body image concerns, disordered eating, and muscle-building behaviours among adolescent girls and boys.” Journal of youth and adolescence 49.2 (2020): 399-409.

Saiphoo, A. N., & Vahedi, Z. A meta-analytic review of the relationship between social media use and body image disturbance. Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 101, 2019, pp. 259-275.