Tween Television and Peers: Reinforcing Social Agents in Early Adolescents' Body Surveillance and Self-Objectification.

Abstract

Sociocultural models of body image posit that the media and peers play a role in early adolescents' body dissatisfaction. Introducing a sociocultural perspective on youth sexualization, the present three-wave panel study (N=968, Mage =11.30) sought to examine the role of tween television and peer appearance conversations in early adolescents' body surveillance and self-objectification over time. Special attention was given to the mediating role of media internalization in these relationships. The results showed evidence for a reciprocal interaction between media internalization and peer appearance conversations and identified this reciprocal interaction as the underlying mechanism linking tween television exposure to higher levels of body surveillance and self-objectification 1 year later. Implications for body image and media literacy programs are discussed.