The digital age has seen a surge in social media, namely platforms where selfie-posting is a core practice, especially among teenagers. Previous studies showed correlation between social media use and various psychological problems, such as dissatisfaction with own body and low mood. In particular, the act of taking and sharing selfies has been criticized for potentially exacerbating these problems.
The study collected data from 339 teenage girls aged 17 on average, recruited from two middle schools in central China. The participants were offered to complete self-report questionnaires that assessed their selfie-taking behavior, upward and downward appearance comparisons, body observation, and self-esteem. This allowed the researchers to analyze correlation between these variables equally.
The results showed that body observation mediated the correlation between self-comparison with more attractive peers and the frequency of selfie posting. Simply put, girls who frequently compared themselves to peers they considered more attractive were more likely to post selfies on social media.
Moreover, the effect of body surveillance on selfie-taking behavior was significantly stronger among adolescents with lower self-esteem suggesting that the cycle of comparing, monitoring, and posting was particularly pronounced for those who had less positive self-esteem.
Source: https://incrussia.ru/news/sotsialnye-seti-dokazano-menyayut-povedenie-i-samootsenku-u-podrostkov/
Photo is from open sources.
