Suchergebnisse

This study examined whether incidental exposure (IE) to climate content on social media can foster online climate change engagement among mid-to-late adolescents, using two-wave panel data ( Nw1 & w2 = 574) gathered among Flemish adolescents (14–19). Structural equation analyses indicated that online climate change engagement positively predicted IE 4 months later, but not vice versa. IE did not significantly relate to online engagement 4 months later, irrespective of level of climate interest. However, we observed an antecedent role for climate interest; Higher climate interest was reflected in more online climate change engagement. Moreover, IE translated into higher levels of online climate change engagement among adolescents reporting high levels of injunctive peer norms. These findings suggest that social media are reinforcing rather than equalizing gaps in online climate change engagement and demonstrate how dispositional and social factors interact in shaping adolescents' incidental social media exposure and online engagement.

Expanding on theory of norm internalization and literature on credibility heuristics, this study examined whether (a) peers can increase the perceived task relevance and credibility of social media ideals (i.e. appearance-related norms promoted on social media) and (b) increased perceptions of task relevance (i.e. usefulness of social media ideals for body image improvement) and credibility facilitate reliance on social media for appearance information and thin/athletic-ideal internalization. To examine these relationships, we used two-wave panel data ( Nw1 & w2 = 657) gathered among Belgian adolescents (14–18 years). Structural equation analyses indicated that peer appearance conversations were associated with increased perceived task relevance and credibility of social media ideals. In turn, task relevance and credibility were positively related to thin/athletic-ideal internalization and informational reliance on social, respectively. These findings suggest that peer conversations contribute to a positive evaluation of social media ideals and in doing so indirectly contribute to thin/athletic-ideal internalization.

Sociocultural models of body image posit that the media and peers play a role in early adolescents' body dissatisfaction. Introducing a sociocultural perspective on youth sexualization, the present three‐wave panel study (N = 968, Mage = 11.30) sought to examine the role of tween television and peer appearance conversations in early adolescents' body surveillance and self‐objectification over time. Special attention was given to the mediating role of media internalization in these relationships. The results showed evidence for a reciprocal interaction between media internalization and peer appearance conversations and identified this reciprocal interaction as the underlying mechanism linking tween television exposure to higher levels of body surveillance and self‐objectification 1 year later. Implications for body image and media literacy programs are discussed.

Despite the circulation of climate content on social media, little longitudinal research has explored their relations with pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors. Considering that individual behaviors, in conjunction with structural change, are critical to mitigate climate change, this two-wave panel study among 657 adolescents examined how social media interactions (i.e., exposure, liking, commenting, sharing and posting of climate messages) reciprocally related to adolescents' pro-environmental cognitions (i.e., descriptive and injunctive norms, attitudes) and behavior. The study showed transactional relationships between self-posting and sharing of climate content over time. Pro-environmental behavior at Wave 1 (W1) positively related to all cognitive variables at Wave 2 (W2), yet no reciprocal relationship occurred as none of the cognitive variables (W1) predicted behavior (W2) over time. Moreover, with the exception of the positive link between "liking" (W1) and attitudes (W2), no (reciprocal) relationships between social media interactions and adolescents' pro-environmental cognitions and behavior occurred over time.

The present three-wave panel study of 496 preadolescent boys ( Mage = 11.36, SD = 1.07) examined the impact of sports magazine consumption on mesomorphic body standards and self-sexualizing behaviors (e.g., drinking shakes in order to gain muscle mass, choosing clothing to show off muscles). Grounded in social cognitive theory, we also examined the moderating role of reward sensitivity. Results revealed that boys who consumed more sports magazines at wave 1 (W1) were more likely to report personal mesomorphic standards and perceived mesomorphic standards for men and boys in general at wave 2 (W2). Additionally, W2 personal mesomorphic standards mediated the relationship between sports magazine consumption at W1 and self-sexualizing behaviors at wave 3. Reward sensitivity moderated the relationship between personal mesomorphic standards and self-sexualizing behaviors.

Sociocultural models emphasize the role of media internalization in preadolescents' appearance dissatisfaction. The present three-wave panel study sought to examine how biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors jointly contribute to preadolescents' ( N = 973, Mage = 11.15 years) media internalization and appearance dissatisfaction over time. Structural equation modeling was conducted to test a hypothetical model in which media internalization mediated the effect of (a) pubertal timing, (b) media-related conversations with friends, and (c) perceptions of media as a good source of information regarding appearance and attractiveness, on change in appearance satisfaction. The model also examined the protective role of social self-esteem against the internalization of media ideals. For girls, pubertal timing was associated with increases in media internalization over time, directly and indirectly through media information and media-related conversations. For boys, pubertal timing indirectly predicted increases in media internalization over time, through media-related conversations. Media internalization positively predicted body dissatisfaction over time, and vice versa. Social self-esteem did not serve as a buffer against media internalization.