Instagram ads might lead teen girls to undertake appearance-altering measures: Report

Advertisements on Instagram can severely influence the perception of teenage girls about their own bodies and force them to undertake appearance-altering measures, research published in the Journal of Psychology has claimed.

The research specifically focused on girls aged between 17 and 19. It revealed that when exposed to ads featuring thin or curvy models, female users of Instagram might develop a physical inferiority complex.

The research reaffirms the results of previous studies that highlighted how exposure to idealised body types in media can lead to body dissatisfaction and even unhealthy behaviours.

How was study conducted?

The study involved 284 young women aged 17-19, all enrolled in a psychology course at an Australian university. They were selected from a research participant pool and had to meet specific criteria, such as being regular Instagram users and not having diagnosed eating disorders or body dysmorphia.

The research aimed to understand how exposure to Instagram ads featuring both thin and curvy models affected these participants.

To assess the impact of this exposure, the researchers used various measures, including participants' body image preferences (whether they preferred thin or curvy body types), how often they compared themselves to these idealised images, their body satisfaction level, and their willingness to take actions to achieve a thinner or curvier body.

The results indicated that participants who had more exposure to thin or curvy models through Instagram advertising were more likely to prefer those body types. This suggests that Instagram ads can influence people's preferences for certain body ideals.

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Furthermore, the study found that exposure to these body ideals was associated with a greater willingness to take specific actions to attain them. Those who preferred thin bodies were more open to actions like dieting or surgery to reduce their waist size, while those who preferred curvy bodies were more inclined to consider procedures to increase breast and buttocks size.

Dissatisfaction - a key factor

The research also revealed that dissatisfaction with their bodies played a key role for teenagers in affecting decisions to alter their appearance.

Study author Jannatul Shimul Ferdousi, a PhD student in the School of Applied Psychology at Griffith University, was quoted as saying by Psypost that there needs to be updated policies and government intervention to stop this menace.

“This highlights the need for updated policies and interventions so that they take into account the impact of newer advertising platforms and body ideals on body image,” said Ferdousi.

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