Abstract
The primary aim of the study was to examine the relationship across time between Facebook use and body image concern in adolescent girls. A sample of 438 girls in the first two years (Years 8 and 9) of high school (aged 13-15 years) at Time 1 completed questionnaire measures of Facebook consumption and body image concerns, and again two years later (Time 2). Facebook involvement increased substantially over the two year time period. Body image concerns also increased. Number of Facebook friends was found to prospectively predict the observed increase in drive for thinness. On the other hand, internalization and body surveillance prospectively predicted the observed increase in number of Facebook friends. It was concluded that Facebook "friendships" represent a potent sociocultural force in the body image of adolescent girls. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2017; 50:80-83).
Highlights
It can be seen that ownership of a Facebook profile increased over the two years to over 90%, as did the amount of time spent there and the mean number of Facebook friends
Predictors of Time 2 Body Image Concern. Those girls who initially had a Facebook profile scored significantly higher than their non-Facebook peers on drive for thinness two years later, t(431)=2.86, p
We examined the possibility of the reverse direction of causation, that is, whether initial levels of body image concern predicted any change in Facebook use (Table 2(b))
Summary
Facebook and body image concern in adolescent girls: A prospective study Introduction Facebook is currently the most popular social networking site with over 1.15 billion current users world-wide.[9] A recent systematic review concluded that its use is associated with body image concerns and disordered eating in women and adolescent girls.[10]
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