Body Image in Young Teens

Body image has always been an important aspect in an adolescents’ development.  Over the past decade, the media has influenced what that body image should be through various outlets.  Teens (especially teen girls) are convinced of the thin ideal and believe the standard of ideal beauty lies in the images of super models and celebrities.  This “cookie cutter” image is incredibly unrealistic, considering the biological changes during adolescence. Regardless of the surreal standards teen girls set for themselves after seeing celebrities/ models on television, they begin to engage in unhealthy habits, including dieting and habits as extreme as eating disorders.

Parents and friends also encourage this behavior because they are also influenced by the ideal image of beauty.  Parents provide an aspect to the cultural pressures, especially if they endorse the thin ideal themselves.Friends provide a social setting, especially for teen girls, and peer groups engage in what is known as social comparisons.  Social comparisons refer to peer groups comparing themselves and one another to the images and individuals in the media (3). This site will attempt to look at the under-recognized role of the parents as well as look at the impact of social circles where conversations of body comparison are frequent, leading to depression and other unhealthy choices in teen girls.