Scully M, Swords L, Nixon E
School of Psychology and Trinity Research in Childhood Centre, Trinity College Dublin.
Ir J Psychol Med. 2023 Mar;40(1):31-42. doi: 10.1017/ipm.2020.93. Epub 2020 Sep 11.
Adolescents' engagement with online social networking platforms is advancing at an exponential rate and research is needed to investigate any impact on young users' mental health. This study examined appearance-related activity (e.g. looking at photos of friends) on social media and body dissatisfaction among adolescent girls.
Self-report measures of online appearance-related activity, social comparisons to female target groups, internalization of the thin ideal, body dissatisfaction, and self-esteem were administered to 210 girls (mean age = 15.16 years).
Body dissatisfaction was significantly related to (i) time spent engaged in social comparisons and (ii) upward social comparisons with various female targets while online. Evaluating oneself less favorably than the target group of close friends was most strongly associated with poorer body image appraisals. Serial multiple mediation analysis revealed that even after controlling for age and self-esteem, time spent engaged in social comparisons significantly mediated the relationship between online appearance-related activity and body dissatisfaction. This association was then further partially mediated by internalization of the thin ideal, which significantly mediated the relationship between time engaged in social comparisons and body dissatisfaction.
Results are discussed in terms of online social media platforms representing an additional appearance culture environment for adolescent girls. The effects of this on the mental health of vulnerable users and how future research should investigate protective factors that may buffer young girls from the adverse effects of social media are considered.
青少年参与在线社交网络平台的程度正呈指数级增长，因此需要开展研究来调查其对年轻用户心理健康的影响。本研究考察了社交媒体上与外表相关的活动（如查看朋友的照片）以及少女的身体不满情况。
对210名女孩（平均年龄 = 15.16岁）进行了关于在线外表相关活动、与女性目标群体的社会比较、瘦理想内化、身体不满和自尊的自我报告测量。
身体不满与以下因素显著相关：（i）用于进行社会比较的时间，以及（ii）在线时与各种女性目标进行的向上社会比较。与亲密朋友目标群体相比，对自己评价较低与较差的身体形象评估最为密切相关。系列多重中介分析表明，即使在控制年龄和自尊之后，用于进行社会比较的时间也显著中介了在线外表相关活动与身体不满之间的关系。这种关联随后进一步部分由瘦理想内化所中介，瘦理想内化显著中介了进行社会比较的时间与身体不满之间的关系。
根据在线社交媒体平台代表着少女的另一种外表文化环境来讨论结果。考虑了这对易受影响用户心理健康的影响，以及未来研究应如何调查可能保护年轻女孩免受社交媒体不利影响的保护因素。
