Reference no: EM133509391

Case Study: This study's goal is to examine how social media and society affect teenage girls' perceptions of their bodies using the framework of social cognitive theory (SCT). Particularly among teenagers, social media platforms have recently grown to be a significant source of knowledge and influence. The culture of cancellation, as observed on these platforms, is often based on public criticism based on issues related to body image. This study aims to explore the influence of eliminating cultural content in social media on the perception of body image and self-esteem among teenagers, with the SCT acting as a valuable theoretical lens to understand the underlying processes.Literature ReviewStudies that link social media use to bad body image in adolescent girls are increasing. Nearly 50% of girls between the ages of 13 and 17 were female, wanted to look like fashion models, according to 2017 research by the Girl Scouts Research Institute. In the study we gain the knowledge that girls who use social media more often have this negative body image. Another study that was included in the 2018 issue of Body Image magazine discovered a link between teenage girls' use of social media and their dissatisfaction with their bodies. This specific study also found that girls spend more time on social media than boys, and the more they compare themselves to others, the more they feel unsatisfied with their bodies. In 2020, a study by the University of California, Los Angeles, found that teenage girls exposed to abandonment culture are more likely to have negative body image.
Social Cognitive TheoryThe learning theory known as social cognitive theory claims that people learn by imitating and observing the behavior of others. On social media, this means that teenagers can learn to have a negative body image by observing other people's bodies. For example, if a teenager sees a very thin celebrity on social media, she may start to believe that she must be thin to be beautiful. She can also compare herself to celebrities and feel bad about her body. Cancel culture also contributes to the negative image of the body of teenage girls by making them feel judged and criticized for their appearance. When celebrities are criticized for their body image, it can send the message that they are fat or that they have a different body type. This message can be incorporated into the culture of young girls, which leads to negative body images.

Research Questions

Question 1: This research proposal will address the following research questions:

Question 2: How does social media influence teenage girls' body image?

Question 3: How does cancel culture influence teenage girls' body image?