Dispositional and Social Correlates of Digital Status Seeking Among Adolescents.

Social media have transformed peer relationships among adolescents, providing new avenues to attain online status indicators such as likes and followers. This study aimed to explore the associations between various dispositional and social factors and digital status-seeking behaviors among a sample of adolescents (N = 731; Mage = 14.69, 48.7 percent female), as well as explore potential gender differences in the examined associations. Sociometric nominations for digital status-seeking, likeability, and popularity were collected, and participants self-reported their social media use frequency, awareness of social media positivity bias, reward sensitivity, and gender. The findings revealed a positive relationship between sociometric popularity and digital status-seeking, whereas likeability displayed a negative association with digital status-seeking. These results emphasize the importance of distinguishing between different social status indicators in understanding online behaviors. Reward sensitivity did not show a significant link to digital status-seeking, and awareness of social media positivity bias heightened the likelihood of being nominated as a digital status-seeker. These findings underscore the need for further research, especially focusing on girls who appear to be more vulnerable to engaging in digital status-seeking behaviors.

The Development of the Positive Sexuality in Adolescence Scale (PSAS).

The aim of the present investigation was to develop a comprehensive tool to measure positive sexuality among adolescents. We first conducted an extensive literature review to develop the Positive Sexuality in Adolescence Scale (PSAS). We also conducted focus group interviews with adolescents (N = 14) to explore their understanding of positive sexuality and to discuss the proposed scale items. In two survey studies (Ntotal = 890), we examined the psychometric properties of the PSAS. In Study 1 (N = 211; Mage = 15.5, 55.5% girls), an exploratory factor analysis yielded five factors (e.g., positive approach to sexual relationships) which comprised 22 items. Convergent validity was also established in Study 1. In Study 2 (N =679; Mage = 15.32, 49% girls), a confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the factor structure. Results of Study 2 also supported the internal consistency and a partial measurement invariance for boys and girls. The PSAS is a useful tool for assessing the multifaceted nature of positive sexuality among adolescents for both boys and girls. We conclude by outlining future research directions on adolescent positivity sexuality using the PSAS.

Television, news media, social media and adolescents' and young adults' violations of the COVID-19 lockdown measures: A prototype willingness model.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, television and social media informed and entertained people. This cross-sectional study among adolescents and young adults (n = 859, 71.94% female, Mage  = 20.55, SDage  = 4.59) examined the associations between pro- and anti-governmental (social) media and youth's violations of the lockdown measures following the prototype willingness model (PWM). Data were collected during Belgium's first and strictest lockdown. The results largely confirmed the applicability of the PWM in a public health context. Posting of and exposure to anti-governmental social media messages positively related to violations of the regulations via higher descriptive norm perceptions of peers violating the measures and positive attitudes towards violations. Pro-governmental media interactions (i.e., exposure to news media and pro-governmental social media messages) negatively related to violations via negative attitudes towards violations. No support emerged for the role of (televised) series, prototype favorability, or subjective norms in the PWM. Differences in posting versus exposure of social media messages were found. Posting generally related stronger to risk cognitions and behaviors compared to exposure. Gender and age moderated some of the examined relations in the PWM. Implications for media research and health campaigns are discussed.

The Positive Body Image among Adolescents Scale (PBIAS): Conceptualization, development, and psychometric evaluation among adolescents from Belgium.

In this study, we aimed to offer a conceptualization of positive body image during adolescence and psychometrically examine a new scale developed to measure this conceptualization. A literature review on positive body image and adolescence was conducted, which shaped the development of the Positive Body Image among Adolescents Scale (PBIAS). In Study 1, four focus groups (totaling 14 adolescents) from Belgium explored the content, clarity, and applicability of the PBIAS items. In Study 2, an exploratory factor analysis (N = 565; Mage = 14.9, 63.8 % girls) revealed 4 factors: body self-appreciation, body other-appreciation, resilience against media body ideals, and resilience against negative appearance feedback. This 4-factor structure was confirmed in Study 3 (N = 718; Mage = 15.2, 50.4 % girls), and gender invariance was upheld. The test-retest reliability of the PBIAS scores was partially supported in Study 4 (N = 309, Mage = 15.3, 66.3 % girls). Across studies, internal consistency was supported and construct validity (convergent and incremental) evidence was garnered. Further, the PBIAS was translated from Dutch to English to offer researchers an option for collecting data in English-speaking countries. Overall, the PBIAS is a brief measure with psychometric support that assesses four dimensions of adolescent positive body image.

How Social and Mass Media Relate to Youth's Self-Sexualization: Taking a Cross-National Perspective on Rewarded Appearance Ideals.

Although media exposure has been related to cognitive preoccupation with appearance, research rarely investigated adolescents' behavioral self-sexualization. To address this gap, the present study among 12- to 16-year-olds (N = 1527; 50.2% girls) in Austria, Belgium, Spain, and South-Korea (1) investigates whether different types of media use relate to self-sexualization, (2) explores the explanatory value of rewarded appearance ideals, and (3) considers culture and gender as moderating factors. Despite cultural variation, a general trend of increasing self-sexualization with social media use and magazine reading appeared across the countries. Moreover, women's magazine reading and rewards were related to self-sexualization among all the girls across the countries, which suggests that girls may be more vulnerable to the examined effects. Overall, this study provides a better understanding of the unique contribution of specific media genres to youth's self-sexualization and points at the importance of social media use in girls' and boys' engagement in sexualizing appearance behaviors across four countries.

"I Can/Should Look Like a Media Figure": The Association Between Direct and Indirect Media Exposure and Teens' Sexualizing Appearance Behaviors.

Prior research has examined the influence of media exposure on adolescents' sexualized self-concept, but engagement in sexualizing appearance behaviors remains understudied, especially among a younger age group (i.e., early adolescents). This three-wave panel study among 971 nine- to 14-year-olds (Mage = 12.99, SD = 1.03) showed that discussing media content with friends (i.e., indirect media exposure) was indirectly related to sexualizing appearance behaviors through perceived attainability of the appearance ideal. Direct media exposure was not significantly related to sexualizing appearance behaviors, nor to perceived pressure or perceived attainability. Direct and indirect media exposure influenced boys and girls in similar ways, although the model showed a better fit among the girls. In addition, reward sensitivity did not moderate the examined relations.

Linking Magazine Exposure to Social Appearance Anxiety: The Role of Appearance Norms in Early Adolescence.

Early adolescents (N = 1,591; Mage  = 11.698; SD = 0.892) participated in a two-wave panel study (6-month interval) to examine the longitudinal association between appearance-focused magazine exposure and social appearance anxiety. We revealed that magazine exposure positively correlated with the internalization of appearance ideals and the attribution of social rewards to attractiveness which, in turn, related to social appearance anxiety. Internalization and attribution of social rewards formed a reinforcing spiral; once internalized, early adolescents associate positive things with appearance ideals (e.g., peer acceptance) and the perception of rewards increases early adolescents' inclination to internalize ideals. Given the adverse consequences of social appearance anxiety, the findings warrant research on the role of media in the occurrence of social appearance anxiety.

Aspiring to have the looks of a celebrity: young girls' engagement in appearance management behaviors.

Research suggests that sexualizing media messages are present in teen media and negatively affect young girls' body image. Yet, it is unknown whether exposure to teen television programs is associated with girls' engagement in appearance management behaviors. Two-wave longitudinal data among 785 girls (Mage = 11.65 years) were collected. Results show that teen television exposure was longitudinally related to appearance management, while the reverse relation was not supported. Approximately half of the girls indicated to manage their appearance to some extent, and 13- to 14-year-old girls were more likely to invest in their appearance than younger girls. Thirty percent of those who did not manage their appearance at the start of the study indicated to have initiated appearance management 6 months later. Frequent viewers were four times, three times, and twice as more likely to style their hair, wear heels, and apply make-up compared to non-viewers. CONCLUSION: The current study showed that teen media exposure plays a role in young girls' appearance management. The findings point to a need to teach young girls about stereotypical messages in media content directed towards them. Prevention efforts should focus on girls who frequently watch teen media. What is Known: • Sexualizing media messages are present in teen media. • Gender identity development is one of the key tasks during adolescence. What is New: • Tween television exposure predicts 9- to 14-year-old girls' engagement in appearance management over time. • Engagement in appearance management behaviors did not predict 9- to 14-year-old girls' exposure to tween television programs.