Online And Offline Appearance Concerns During Early-To-Middle Adolescence

Social media’s pervasive and visual nature can significantly impact adolescents’ mental health, particularly body image issues.

The constant exposure to idealized images, the ability to compare oneself to others, and the quantifiable feedback (e.g., likes) on appearance-related posts can intensify body dissatisfaction and self-objectification.

As social media use continues to rise among young people, understanding its effects on body image is crucial for developing interventions, guiding healthy digital media use, and preventing potential long-term mental health consequences.

Maheux, A. J., Burnell, K., & Choukas-Bradley, S. (2024). Bidirectional associations between online and offline appearance concerns during early-to-middle adolescence. Developmental Psychology, 60(10), 1885–1901. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001795

Key Points

• Appearance-related social media consciousness (ASMC) was associated with worse body image outcomes at the between-person level among early-to-middle adolescents.
• Within-person increases in ASMC predicted subsequent increases in appearance-contingent self-worth (ACSW) for both girls and boys.
• For girls only, increases in self-objectification predicted subsequent increases in ASMC.
• ASMC and appearance esteem were bidirectionally associated over time for both girls and boys.
• Girls reported higher levels of ASMC, ACSW, and self-objectification, and lower appearance esteem compared to boys.
• These associations were found while controlling for time spent on social media, highlighting the importance of examining specific social media experiences rather than just screen time.
• The study provides evidence for potentially mutually reinforcing relationships between online and offline appearance concerns during a key developmental period.
• Results suggest social media may play a role in exacerbating body image issues for young adolescents, with some gender differences.
• Findings have implications for understanding developmental cascades of body image and mental health in the digital age.

Rationale

This study aimed to examine bidirectional associations between online appearance concerns (ASMC) and offline body image among early-to-middle adolescents.

The researchers note that body image concerns spike during early adolescence and are a risk factor for various mental health issues (Bucchianeri & Neumark-Sztainer, 2014).

Additionally, social media use increases sharply during this developmental period (Rideout et al., 2022).

While prior research has found associations between social media use and negative body image, most studies have been cross-sectional and focused on older adolescents or young adults (de Valle et al., 2021; Holland & Tiggemann, 2016).

The researchers argue that it remains unclear whether online appearance preoccupation influences offline body image or if pre-existing body image concerns lead to online appearance preoccupation.

This study addresses these gaps by using a longitudinal design to examine between-person differences and within-person bidirectional associations in online and offline appearance concerns among young adolescents.

The researchers also explore potential gender differences in these associations.

By focusing on early-to-middle adolescence and employing a longitudinal design, this study aims to shed light on the developmental processes underlying the relationships between social media use and body image during a critical period.

Method

The researchers used a longitudinal design with three waves of data collection over one academic year.

They employed random intercept cross-lagged panel models to examine between-person associations and lagged associations between within-person changes in online and offline body image experiences.

Procedure

Participants completed online surveys during class periods at three timepoints: October 2020 (T1), January 2021 (T2), and March 2021 (T3).

The surveys included measures of ASMC, offline body image constructs (ACSW, self-objectification, appearance esteem), and time spent on social media.

Sample

The sample consisted of 1,582 eighth-grade students (ages 11-15, Mage = 13) from schools in Florida, USA.

The sample was diverse in terms of gender (47.5% girls, 45.9% boys, 6.5% another gender identity) and race/ethnicity (37% Latine, 32% White, 18% Black, 7% Asian, 6% another racial/ethnic identity).

Measures

• Appearance-Related Social Media Consciousness (ASMC): 13-item scale measuring awareness of one’s attractiveness to a social media audience.
• Appearance-Contingent Self-Worth (ACSW): 4-item scale assessing the degree to which self-worth depends on physical attractiveness.
• Self-Objectification: 13-item scale measuring internalization of an observer’s perspective on one’s body.
• Appearance Esteem: 10-item scale measuring feelings and evaluations of one’s attractiveness.
• Time on Social Media: Single-item measure of daily social media use.

Statistical measures

The researchers used random intercept cross-lagged panel models in Mplus 8.0 to examine between-person associations and within-person lagged associations.

They used robust maximum likelihood estimation and full information maximum likelihood to handle missing data. Multiple group models were used to test for gender differences.

Results

• At the between-person level, ASMC was significantly associated with greater ACSW for both girls and boys.
• ASMC was associated with greater self-objectification for boys, but not for girls, at the between-person level.
• ASMC was significantly associated with lower appearance esteem at the between-person level for both genders.
• Within-person increases in ASMC predicted subsequent increases in ACSW for both girls and boys.
• For girls only, increases in self-objectification predicted subsequent increases in ASMC. This effect was not observed for boys.
• ASMC and appearance esteem were bidirectionally associated at the within-person level for both girls and boys. Increases in ASMC predicted decreases in appearance esteem and vice versa.
• Girls reported significantly higher levels of ASMC, ACSW, and self-objectification compared to boys.
• Girls reported significantly lower levels of appearance esteem compared to boys.
• The cross-lagged effect from self-objectification to subsequent ASMC was significantly different for girls and boys, with the effect only present for girls.
• These results were consistent even when controlling for time spent on social media, highlighting the unique contributions of appearance-related social media experiences beyond mere screen time.
• No significant associations were found between time spent on social media and ASMC at the within-person level, although participants who spent more time on social media reported higher ASMC, ACSW, and self-objectification, and lower appearance esteem on average.

Insight

This study provides evidence for potentially mutually reinforcing relationships between online and offline appearance concerns during early-to-middle adolescence.

The findings suggest that ASMC may play a role in exacerbating offline body image issues, while some offline body image concerns (particularly self-objectification for girls) may increase online appearance preoccupation.

The results extend previous research by focusing on a younger age group and examining bidirectional associations over time.

This allows for a better understanding of the developmental processes underlying the relationships between social media use and body image during a critical period of adolescence.

The gender differences found, particularly for self-objectification, highlight the need to consider gender-specific experiences and interventions related to body image and social media use.

However, many associations were similar for boys and girls, suggesting that boys are not immune to these concerns.

Future research could explore:

• Longer-term longitudinal studies to examine how these associations unfold over time
• The role of pubertal timing in shaping online and offline appearance concerns
• Investigating these processes among gender-diverse youth
• Examining how different types of social media content (e.g., photos vs. videos) influence body image
• Developing and testing interventions targeting both online and offline appearance concerns

Strengths

This study had several methodological strengths, including:

• Longitudinal design allowing for examination of within-person change over time
• Large, diverse sample of young adolescents
• Use of advanced statistical methods (random intercept cross-lagged panel models) to distinguish between- and within-person effects
• Inclusion of multiple body image constructs
• Consideration of gender differences
• Control for time spent on social media, isolating the effects of appearance-specific social media experiences

Limitations

This study also had several methodological limitations, including:

• Sample drawn from a single school district in Florida, limiting generalizability
• High attrition rate, particularly among lower-income students and youth of color
• Reliance on self-report measures, including potentially unreliable measures of social media use
• Limited ability to examine experiences of gender-diverse youth due to data collection procedures
• Short-term longitudinal design (6 months) may not capture long-term developmental trends
• Lack of pubertal timing data, which may be relevant for understanding body image development

These limitations suggest caution in generalizing results to all adolescents and highlight the need for further research with more diverse samples, longer-term designs, and more nuanced measures of social media use and gender identity.

Implications

The results have significant implications for understanding adolescent development in the digital age.

They suggest that online appearance concerns may contribute to the development and maintenance of offline body image issues during a critical developmental period.

This has potential downstream consequences for mental health outcomes like depression and disordered eating.

The findings highlight the need for interventions targeting both online and offline appearance concerns.

Social media literacy programs and body acceptance interventions may be particularly beneficial.

Parents, educators, and clinicians should be aware of the potential impact of appearance-focused social media use on young adolescents’ body image and mental health.

The study also underscores the importance of examining specific social media experiences rather than just screen time when considering impacts on adolescent well-being.

Policymakers and technology companies should consider ways to mitigate the potential negative effects of appearance-focused features on social media platforms.

Variables that may influence the results include pubertal timing, cultural context, and individual differences in vulnerability to appearance concerns.

Future research should explore these factors to develop more targeted interventions and support for at-risk youth.

References

Primary reference

Maheux, A. J., Burnell, K., & Choukas-Bradley, S. (2024). Bidirectional associations between online and offline appearance concerns during early-to-middle adolescence. Developmental Psychology, 60(10), 1885–1901. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001795

Other references

Bucchianeri, M. M., & Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2014). Body dissatisfaction: An overlooked public health concern. Journal of Public Mental Health, 13(2), 64-69. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMH-11-2013-0071

de Valle, M. K., Gallego-Garcia, M., Williamson, P., & Wade, T. D. (2021). Social media, body image, and the question of causation: Meta-analyses of experimental and longitudinal evidence. Body Image, 39, 276-292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2021.10.001

Holland, G., & Tiggemann, M. (2016). A systematic review of the impact of the use of social networking sites on body image and disordered eating outcomes. Body image, 17, 100-110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2016.02.008

Rideout, V., Peebles, A., Mann, S., & Robb, M. B. (2022). The common sense census: Media use by tweens and teens, 2021. Common Sense Media.

Keep Learning

Socratic questions for a college class to discuss this paper:

1. How might the relationships between online and offline appearance concerns differ across various cultural contexts?
2. In what ways could the rapid evolution of social media platforms and features influence the findings of this study over time?
3. How might the experiences of transgender and nonbinary youth differ from those of cisgender youth regarding online and offline appearance concerns?
4. What ethical considerations should researchers and policymakers keep in mind when studying and addressing adolescents’ social media use and body image?
5. How might the COVID-19 pandemic and increased reliance on digital communication have influenced the relationships observed in this study?
6. What role might parents and educators play in mitigating the potential negative effects of appearance-focused social media use on adolescent body image?
7. How could the findings of this study inform the design of social media platforms to promote more positive body image experiences for young users?
8. In what ways might the associations between online and offline appearance concerns change as adolescents transition into young adulthood?
9. How might individual differences in personality traits or cognitive styles moderate the relationships observed in this study?
10. What potential positive aspects of social media use for body image and self-esteem were not captured by this study, and how might future research address these?