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Theoretical Framework

The theoretical framework discusses several theories relating to how social media and peer influence can impact body image satisfaction in teenagers. It describes cultivation theory, which posits that extensive exposure to media can shape perceptions of reality. It also discusses social comparison theory, which suggests that teenagers evaluate themselves by comparing to peers. Finally, it explains the tripartite model of influence, which states that various pressures from social and media sources can internalize ideals and trigger appearance comparisons.

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345 views

Theoretical Framework

The theoretical framework discusses several theories relating to how social media and peer influence can impact body image satisfaction in teenagers. It describes cultivation theory, which posits that extensive exposure to media can shape perceptions of reality. It also discusses social comparison theory, which suggests that teenagers evaluate themselves by comparing to peers. Finally, it explains the tripartite model of influence, which states that various pressures from social and media sources can internalize ideals and trigger appearance comparisons.

Uploaded by

mememew suppasit
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Theoretical Framework

In today's digital age, high school students are also considered as consumers

when it comes to social media platforms; it plays a role in shaping their self-perception

and body image. The influence of the portrayal of unrealistic beauty standards on

platforms can significantly affect how students perceive themselves. The theory that

was proposed originally by Karz et al. in 1973, provides a framework to comprehend

why young peers encounter an engagement with social media and how it affects their

body image satisfaction. When high school students engage in social media, they are

vulnerable to exposure to image comparison and the desire to fit into online norms since

it perpetuates unrealistic standards that lead to body dissatisfaction and low

self-esteem. The gratification theory offers insights into comprehending why high school

students engage in social media in ways that affect their body image. As mentioned in

this theory, individuals choose media and content that satisfy their desires. it becomes

evident that students want gratification, such as validation or entertainment, unaware of

the negative consequences of their body image satisfaction.

The Group Socialization Theory by Harris (1995) asserts that children tend to

identify more with their social group or more particularly, their peers, than their parents

or most adults. This association with peers tends to influence the development in their

way of thinking and their character as a person. This theory also suggested that peer

pressure among youth can be very strong to the extent in which even with different

parents, children would become the same adults as long as their social groups were to

remain the same. This is usually to adapt and navigate their environment, but peer
influence or pressure can be very extreme towards a developing child. This theory

states how much influence peers can have towards the youth and their development

and as well as their perception or behavior towards a lot of things.

Body image satisfaction is viewed through the lens of the Tripartite Model of

Influence Theory of Burke et al. (1999) which states that appearance-related pressures

by different factors lead to thin-ideal internalization and appearance comparisons with

others. This theory is the most tested sociocultural model relating to body image and

eating disturbance. It states how body image satisfaction can have a lot of factors that

affect it including through peers and different media engagement. These factors can

either yield positive or negative effects towards our body image self-perception

depending on what type of peers, media, or other social or subgroups we interact with.

This study on George Gerbner's Cultivation Theory (1960) found that ongoing

exposure to prevalent topics in mass media can cause individuals to overestimate their

likelihood and impact. This is known as the "cultivation effect". Social networks like

Instagram have been studied in the context of cultivating body image attitudes and

behaviors among adolescents. According to cultivation theory, exposure to media

affects people's perception and attitudes of the real world. In the context of social

media, young people are exposed to images and content portraying unrealistic,

unattainable and unhealthy physical ideals. These media images can impact their body

image, and the lack of healthy and diverse representation can affect their self-esteem

and image satisfaction.

The relationship between peer pressure and body image satisfaction builds upon

Leon Festinger's Social Comparison Theory (1954), which posits that individuals,
particularly youth, engage in self-evaluation by comparing their attributes to those of

their peers. Social comparison entails the examination of one's own attributes and

qualities in light of those possessed by others. His theory suggests that nature and

significance of social comparison are influenced by cultural and individual variations. By

focusing on this theory, the researchers aim to specifically explore how peer pressure,

rooted in social comparison dynamics, contributes to shaping body image satisfaction

among adolescents. This allows us to delve into the nuanced connections between peer

influence, self-perception, and body image.

Research Objectives

The objective of this research is to comprehensively assess and identify the

relationship of social media usage and peer pressure to body image satisfaction among

high school students.

The main objectives of this study are as follows:

● To assess the frequency and duration of social media usage among high school

students.

● To investigate the influence of peer pressure on body image satisfaction among

high school students.

● To examine the relationship between social media usage and body image

satisfaction among high school students.

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