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.