Social Media and Teen Body Image: What Parents Need to Know

Social media is a core part of most teenagers’ lives these days. While social media can be a wonderful place for teens to connect with their friends and engage in communities where they feel seen and supported, this is not always the case. A common concern for parents is whether their teens should have social media and, if they do, how they can ensure that they are using it in ways that promote their mental health rather than cause harm. 

As a therapist who works extensively with teens experiencing disordered eating and body image challenges, I see firsthand how impactful social media can be. Keep reading to learn more about the relationship between social media and body image and how you can support your teen in navigating it. 

What Research Tells Us About Social Media and Teen Body Image

Articles about social media and body image often focus on teen girls, while teen boys are frequently left out of the conversation. However, a growing body of research suggests that teen boys are also significantly impacted by social media and the messages they encounter online. 

Research from the University of Waterloo found that 55% of teens reported feeling dissatisfied with their appearance, with their level of dissatisfaction increasing as the amount of time they spent on social media increased. The study also found differences between genders: females were more likely to report feeling larger than their ideal size, while males were more likely to report feeling thinner than their ideal size. 

The findings highlight the influence of societal norms around conventional attractiveness. Stereotypically, girls and women are often exposed to messages suggesting that being thinner is more desirable, while boys and men may be exposed to messages that equate muscularity with attractiveness. 

With social media playing such a significant role in teens’ lives, parents may wonder what they can do to help their teens navigate these messages while developing a healthy relationship with their bodies. 

What Can You Do as a Parent?

1. Get curious about your teen’s social media feed
   Ask your teen questions about the types of content they like to engage with on social media. This doesn’t have to be a serious, sit-down conversation. In fact, approaching it too formally may make your teen feel like they are in trouble or being monitored, which could cause them to shut down rather than open up and share with you.

   Instead, look for casual opportunities to bring up the topic. For example, at the dinner table, you might mention something interesting or funny you saw on social media and invite your teen into the conversation. You can ask them what their social media feed looks like and if they have seen anything interesting recently.

   Making conversations about social media a regular part of family life can help normalize the topic and create an environment where your teen feels more comfortable sharing what they see and experience online. 

2. Encourage critical thinking about what they see online.
   Social media literacy refers to the ability to analyze and evaluate the messages and content presented on social media, including considering their accuracy, credibility, and potential impact. In the age of AI, it is becoming increasingly difficult for teens to tell the difference between what is real and what is an artificially generated or edited picture.

   This can increase the likelihood that teens will encounter images that create unrealistic expectations about themselves and their appearances. Developing the ability to recognize and question the content they consume is an important skill for teens.

   As a parent, you can encourage this by having open conversations about how social media content may not always reflect reality. Help your teen think critically about what they see online by asking questions such as, “do you think this image is realistic?” or “how might seeing this kind of content make someone feel about their own appearance?”  

3. Don’t assume that having a teen boy means they are exempt from the influence of social media.
   While body image influences may look different for teen boys, they can still be significantly influenced by the content they encounter online. Rather than focusing primarily on being thinner, teen boys may feel pressure to become more muscular or achieve a particular physique. Social media can contribute to these pressures, particularly when influencers promote muscle building, dieting, or body modification as ways to achieve a specific appearance.

   Pay attention to changes in your teen’s relationship with exercise, food, and appearance. For example, you may notice them becoming increasingly preoccupied with going to the gym, closely tracking calories or macronutrients, or talking more frequently about their appearance or body. These changes don’t necessarily mean that something is wrong, but they can be an opportunity to check in with your teen about what they are engaging with online and how that content is making them feel. 

4. Consider your social media habits and how they may be influencing your teen.
   When teens see their parents engaging with social media in specific ways, such as frequently engaging with content focused on appearance, dieting, weight loss, or exercise, they may begin to internalize these messages themselves. Teens learn not only from what we say, but also from what they observe us doing. 

Take some time to reflect on the content you engage with online and the messages it may be sending about bodies, food, exercise, and appearance. Being mindful of what you model for your teen can help create a healthier relationship with social media and body image within your family. 

How Therapy Can Help

If you are noticing that social media is having a significant impact on your teen’s body image, relationship with food, or exercise habits, therapy can provide a safe space for them to explore what they are experiencing. 

Therapy can help teens develop a healthier relationship with their bodies and learn to recognize and challenge unrealistic messages they encounter online. It can sometimes be challenging for teens to open up to their parents about body image concerns or challenges with food and eating. Having access to a therapist can give teens a supportive and non-judgemental space to talk openly about these experiences and develop tools to navigate them. 

Social media is not inherently harmful, and it doesn’t need to be completely removed from a teen’s life. With the right support, teens can learn how to engage with social media in ways that are more intentional and supportive of their mental health and body image. 

As parents, the goal doesn’t have to be eliminating every potentially harmful message your teen encounters online. Instead, focus on helping them develop the skills to recognize, question, and navigate those messages while knowing they have a safe and supportive person to turn to when they need help. 

Sources:

Body Weight Perceptions Among Youth From 6 Countries and Associations With Social Media Use: Findings From the International Food Policy Study
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics