Body image presentation on Facebook: a survey of new media for the adolescent Ego
https://doi.org/10.4081/rp.2014.369
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The study investigates the relationship between the selection and editing of photographs posted on Facebook and the body image in adolescence. 588 children (M = 296 and F = 292) between the ages of 12 and 19 (M = 15.8; DS = 1.9) were given the Pubertal Developmental Scale (Petersen et al.,1988), the Body Esteem Scale (Mendelson, Mendelson and White, 2001) and a specially constructed questionnaire on photo editing. The data reveal, especially for girls, an inverse correlation between photographic image editing, body esteem, age and perception of pubertal development. For all, the discomfort of seeing one's own physical defect on Facebook is negatively correlated with one's own body esteem. The data shows that the selection and editing of photos posted on Facebook is aimed at showing a better body image for girls with lower body esteem. The study suggests some reflections on the role of social networks in the processes of acceptance of the new body and identity building in adolescence.
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