An examination of preadolescent girls’ social media use and body image: Type of engagement may matter most

Abstract

Research continues to accumulate suggesting that social media use presents a risk to youths’ body image, yet the majority of this research has examined late adolescents and emerging adults. This study examined 151 preadolescent girls’ (M age = 12.06, SD = 1.22) social media use and associations with both positive and negative body image at two time points separated by approximately five months. Girls completed an online survey that included several body image measures and items that queried girls about the social media platforms they used and the activities they engaged in on these platforms. Findings suggest that girls who use social media do not differ significantly from girls who do not use social media in terms of their body image. However, among girls who use social media, their type of engagement (appearance-focused versus communication-focused use) is important; only girls who engage in appearance-focused social media use seem to experience negative body image concerns.