The longitudinal and reciprocal relationships between selfie-related behaviors and self-objectification and appearance concerns among adolescents
Abstract
A few cross-sectional studies have found that selfie-related behaviors have positive associations with self-objectification or appearance concerns, but little is known about whether bidirectional relationships exist between selfie behaviors and these body-related variables over time. The present study examined the reciprocal relationships between selfie-related behaviors and both self-objectification and appearance concerns among adolescents using a longitudinal design. Chinese adolescent boys and girls completed questionnaires at baseline and at 6-month follow-up. The key constructs included selfie-posting, selfie-editing, selfie-viewing, self-objectification, facial dissatisfaction, and body dissatisfaction. Results indicated that selfie-editing, but not selfie-posting, predicted increases in adolescents’ self-objectification and appearance concerns (both body and face) over time. Selfie-viewing predicted increases in self-objectification and facial dissatisfaction, but not body dissatisfaction over time. In the other direction, adolescents’ antecedent levels of self-objectification predicted increases in subsequent selfie-related behaviors. In addition, adolescents’ facial dissatisfaction positively predicted selfie-viewing and selfie-editing but not selfie-posting over time, whereas body dissatisfaction had no influence on subsequent selfie-related behaviors among adolescents. Findings from this study provide new insights into the reciprocal relationships between selfie-related behaviors and body image.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Objectification Theory: Toward Understanding Women's Lived Experiences and Mental Health Risks
Fredrickson, B. L., & Roberts, T.-A. (1997) · Psychology of Women Quarterly · doi:10.1111/j.1471-6402.1997.tb00108.x · Cited by 5,531 · see citing works
GPOWER: A general power analysis program
Erdfelder, E., Faul, F., & Buchner, A. (1996) · Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers · doi:10.3758/bf03203630 · Cited by 4,864 · see citing works
Exacting beauty: Theory, assessment, and treatment of body image disturbance.
Thompson, J. K., Heinberg, L. J., Altabe, M., & Tantleff-Dunn, S. (1999) · doi:10.1037/10312-000 · Cited by 3,100 · cited 5× · see citing works
“Another important mechanism explaining the link between selfie-viewing and appearance concerns is the internalization of ideals when viewing others’ idealized selfies and related interactions (e.g. likes and comments) based on the tripartite influence model (Thompson et al., 1999).”
BackgroundInfluentialUses and Gratifications Theory in the 21st Century
Ruggiero, T. E. (2000) · Mass Communication and Society · doi:10.1207/s15327825mcs0301_02 · Cited by 2,810 · cited 2× · see citing works
“Such a proposition is based on the selectivity paradigm of media use, which is further elaborated into two theoretical perspectives: selective exposure theory (Zillmann and Bryant, 2013) and uses and gratifications theory (Ruggiero, 2000).”
BackgroundWhat is and what is not positive body image? Conceptual foundations and construct definition
Tylka, T. L., & Wood-Barcalow, N. L. (2015) · Body Image · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2015.04.001 · Cited by 1,293 · see citing works
NetGirls: The Internet, Facebook, and body image concern in adolescent girls
Tiggemann, M., & Slater, A. (2013) · International Journal of Eating Disorders · doi:10.1002/eat.22141 · Cited by 741 · see citing works
Chua, T. H. H., & Chang, L. (2016) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2015.09.011 · Cited by 704 · cited 1× · see citing works
“In addition, many people are likely to edit their selfies before sharing them on social media (Chua and Chang, 2016), which may trigger or reinforce feelings of self-objectification because users are treating their own bodies as objects to be manipulated.”
BackgroundMcLean, S. A., Paxton, S. J., Wertheim, E. H., & Masters, J. (2015) · International Journal of Eating Disorders · doi:10.1002/eat.22449 · Cited by 428 · see citing works
Fardouly, J., Willburger, B. K., & Vartanian, L. R. (2018) · New Media & Society · doi:10.1177/1461444817694499 · Cited by 421 · see citing works
Self-citationWhy we post selfies: Understanding motivations for posting pictures of oneself
Sung, Y., Lee, J.-A., Kim, E., & Choi, S. M. (2016) · Personality and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/j.paid.2016.03.032 · Cited by 312 · see citing works
Selective Self-Presentation and Social Comparison Through Photographs on Social Networking Sites
Fox, J., & Vendemia, M. A. (2016) · Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking · doi:10.1089/cyber.2016.0248 · Cited by 310 · see citing works
“Selfie” harm: Effects on mood and body image in young women
Mills, J. S., Musto, S., Williams, L., & Tiggemann, M. (2018) · Body Image · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2018.08.007 · Cited by 297 · see citing works
Cohen, R., Newton-John, T., & Slater, A. (2018) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2017.10.027 · Cited by 294 · see citing works
Do age and gender differences exist in selfie-related behaviours?
Dhir, A., Pallesen, S., Torsheim, T., & Andreassen, C. S. (2016) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2016.05.053 · Cited by 270 · see citing works
Burnette, C. B., Kwitowski, M. A., & Mazzeo, S. E. (2017) · Body Image · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2017.09.001 · Cited by 246 · see citing works
Chae, J. (2017) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2016.10.007 · Cited by 239 · see citing works
Veldhuis, J., Alleva, J. M., Bij de Vaate, A. J. D. (., Keijer, M., & Konijn, E. A. (2020) · Psychology of Popular Media · doi:10.1037/ppm0000206 · Cited by 176 · cited 8× · see citing works
“In this way, it seems likely that people high in self-objectification may post more selfies to seek appearance related gratification (Veldhuis et al., 2018).”
BackgroundResultInfluentialWang, Y., Fardouly, J., Vartanian, L. R., & Lei, L. (2019) · Body Image · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2019.05.001 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Self-citation
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Social Media and Body Image: Recent Trends and Future Directions
Vandenbosch, L., Fardouly, J., & Tiggemann, M. (2022) · Current Opinion in Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.12.002 · Cited by 403 · see citing works
Self-citationChoukas-Bradley, S., Roberts, S. R., Maheux, A. J., & Nesi, J. (2021) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/ju92a · Cited by 331 · see citing works
Choukas-Bradley, S., Roberts, S. R., Maheux, A. J., & Nesi, J. (2022) · Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review · doi:10.1007/s10567-022-00404-5 · Cited by 333 · see citing works
Harriger, J. A., Evans, J. A., Thompson, J. K., & Tylka, T. L. (2022) · Body Image · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.03.007 · Cited by 115 · see citing works
Gioia, F., Griffiths, M. D., & Boursier, V. (2020) · Sex Roles · doi:10.1007/s11199-020-01142-0 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
Fox, J., Vendemia, M. A., Smith, M. A., & Brehm, N. R. (2021) · Body Image · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2020.11.011 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
Sharma, A., & Vidal, C. (2023) · Journal of Eating Disorders · doi:10.1186/s40337-023-00898-6 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
Jarman, H. K., McLean, S. A., Slater, A., Marques, M. D., & Paxton, S. J. (2024) · New Media & Society · doi:10.1177/14614448211058468 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
Snapchat Lenses and Body Image Concerns
Burnell, K., Kurup, A. R., & Underwood, M. K. (2022) · New Media & Society · doi:10.1177/1461444821993038 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Bell, B. T., Taylor, C., Paddock, D., & Bates, A. (2022) · British Journal of Educational Psychology · doi:10.1111/bjep.12449 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Schreurs, L., & Vandenbosch, L. (2022) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2022.107364 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Skowronski, M., Busching, R., & Krahé, B. (2021) · Sex Roles · doi:10.1007/s11199-020-01187-1 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Fortunato, L., Gullo, S., Muscolino, A., La Tona, A., Rodgers, R. F., & Lo Coco, G. (2026) · Adolescent Research Review · doi:10.1007/s40894-026-00285-7 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
- Authors
- Wang, Y., Xie, X., Fardouly, J., Vartanian, L. R., & Lei, L.
- Affiliations
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- Northeast Normal University (CN)
- Macquarie University (AU)
- Renmin University of China (CN)
- Corresponding author
- Lei, Li
- Venue
- New Media & Society
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2019-12-09
- Volume
- 23
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 56-77
- ISSN
- 1461-4448 (ISSN-L)
- 1461-7315
- OpenAlex
- W2992258703
- Cited by
- 108
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2026: 17 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 7
- FWCI
- 13.44
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- New Media & Society (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- renmin university of china
- china scholarship council (201806360125)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Body Image and Dysmorphia Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Keywords
- selfies, self-objectification, appearance concerns, body dissatisfaction, bidirectional relationship, adolescents, body image, social media use
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
