Overall and Appearance-Focused Facebook Use: How Does it Relate to Self-Sexualization Among Adolescents?

• In Event: Growing Up With Media: Gender, Sexuality, and Romance During the Teen & Young Adult Years (HHD Session)

Abstract

Prior research has related Facebook use to body image disturbances among adolescents, but studies examining how Facebook use affects adolescents’ engagement in self-sexualizing behaviors are lacking. The current cross-sectional study among 640 adolescents (Mage = 16.267, SD = 1.601) aimed to take a more nuanced look at the effects of Facebook use by examining the influence of talking about appearance-related topics with friends on Facebook in addition to total amount of Facebook use. The findings showed that appearance conversations on Facebook, but not total amount of Facebook use, was directly related to self-sexualizing behaviors. In addition, the belief that complying with the prevailing appearance ideals is rewarded (with, for example, popularity, increased self-esteem, and romantic success) and self-objectification proved to be valid explanatory mechanisms for the examined relations. Results further showed that both boys and girls were affected by appearance-focused Facebook use, although girls scored higher on the key variables, and the model fit better among the girls.

Authors

• Jolien Trekels, U of Leuven - School for Mass Communication Research

• Lucretia Monique Ward

• Steven Eggermont, U of Leuven - School for Mass Communication Research