Adolescent Girls and the Media
Adolescence marks a time of rapid and intense emotional and physical changes, especially for females. There is an increased value placed on peer acceptance and approval, and a heightened attention to external influences and social messages about cultural norms. Body image and related self-concepts emerge as significant factors associated with health and well-being during this developmental phase, as youths begin to focus more on their physical appearance. How adolescents formulate and define their body image ideals and subsequent self-comparisons is strongly influenced by personal, familial, and cultural factors. However, crucial to the formation of teenage girls’ body image ideals ...