The current study utilized in-depth interviews to better understand how sexualized images typically found on social media might influence adolescent girls’ mental health, in positive and/or negative ways. Body image was the only aspect of mental health highlighted by participants in this study, attesting to its importance in the minds of participants.

While studies have found sexualized images to influence body image among females [34, 43, 49], participants in this study did not highlight sexualization as a specific concern in relation to body image. The pervasiveness and normalization of sexualized images within social media may help explain why girls participating in this study did not consider such images as distinct from others [34, 52]. However, the four overarching themes of expectation, comparison, striving and validation reported in this study highlighted that adolescent girls largely view their body in relation to their appearance, and suggests self-objectification is a prominent issue when exploring the relationship between social media use and body image. Previous studies have also found a connection between self-objectification on girls’ appearance concerns [40, 51, 52]. Consequently, preventing appearance concerns and negative body image among girls may be facilitated by the development of strategies from a young age to counteract self-objectification, appearance concerns and comparisons in relation to social media use [11, 21, 73].

Consistent with previous research, the influence of social media on adolescent girls’ body image was perceived as negative by the participants in this study [12, 24, 29, 57, 74]. Girls found it difficult to identify positive influences of social media on body image, with little to no discussion among participants, even when prompted during interviews. Participants perceived girls who posted photos of themselves on social media as confident and empowered by their appearance and were unsure whether this would have a positive influence on the body image of other girls their age or those who posted the images. While some existing literature suggests adolescents are unaware and naïve to negative influences associated with social media [2, 23, 75], this study found girls were well aware of how the experiences of expectation, comparison, striving and validation led to negative thoughts and feelings related to their body image. Girls were also able to suggest strategies to counteract negative body image and were able to apply critical thinking when viewing images of celebrities. These findings align with previous research that found adolescents to be critical users and generators of social media, with high media literacy and the ability to identify strategies that may help mitigate social media’s negative effects on body image [11, 76, 77].

Adolescent girls in this study identified the importance of peers in relation to making appearance-based comparisons, with differences in the comparisons made to peers or celebrities, suggesting body image may be more negatively influenced by viewing images of peers on social media. This finding aligns with previous studies identifying peers as having a significant influence on body image concerns among girls [11, 24, 73]. Participants perceived peers as more relatable than celebrities, who they considered as less realistic and attainable. With images on social media more frequently featuring girls’ peers (although images of celebrities are also prominent), this finding adds to existing research highlighting peer appearance comparisons as an important component to address when developing programs aimed at the prevention and early intervention of body dissatisfaction and appearance-based concerns among girls [21, 73, 78]. Additionally, this study found girls were not able to apply critical thinking skills when viewing images of peers, suggesting girls need support to apply these cognitive skills to prevent or minimize peer appearance-related comparisons.

Participants also suggested that some adolescent girls may be more at risk than others of making negative appearance comparisons. This was discussed in relation to how girls already felt about their own appearance and their mood when using social media and viewing images. In relation to how girls already feel about their own appearance, positive body image could play a protective role in influencing the likelihood of making negative appearance comparisons while using social media. Positive body image refers to love and respect of one’s body and emphasizes acceptance and appreciation of its functions irrespective of whether it meets dominant societal appearance ideals [79]. An important characteristic of positive body image pertinent to the influence of girls’ social media use on their body image is protective filtering, whereby positive-body related information is accepted while negative information is rejected, maintaining positive body image [79, 80]. Among a sample of adolescents with positive body image, expressing strong criticism against appearance ideals was found to foster protective filtering and thus helped to uphold positive body image [81], whilst in another study of adolescent girls, protective filtering also suggested benefits to body image [11]. Conversely, a recent qualitative study exploring adolescents’ processing and protective filtering of social media content and perceived protective benefits of these strategies for body image found that although girls in the study displayed aspects of engaging in protective filtering, this did not necessarily translate to protective effects to their body image and they experienced difficulty internalizing positive body-related messages and accepting and appreciating their own bodies [57]. While the present study did not collect data about participants’ own body image, findings support the importance of girls’ varying levels of body image when developing interventions aimed at reducing negative appearance comparisons when using social media.

Participants in this study also considered that a girls’ mood when using social media and viewing images may place some girls at greater risk of making negative appearance comparisons. This finding suggests that body dissatisfaction could be state-based and mediate the influence of viewing images on social media and body image, with the immediate impact of exposure to such images influencing body dissatisfaction. Research conducted with women who had trait-level appearance ideal internalization and body dissatisfaction found appearance comparisons, and in particular upward comparisons (to those deemed more attractive) predicted increased state body dissatisfaction [82]. Adolescent girls who internalize appearance ideals and those with elevated trait body dissatisfaction may be at greater risk of making negative appearance comparisons when using social media and thus may be an important sub-group to consider for intervention. Previous research has also found that girls with higher social comparison tendencies [24] and those focused on gaining approval from others about their appearance, experience more negative effects on their body image as a result of using social media [29]. Gaining approval from others when using social media through ‘likes’ and comments was mentioned frequently among girls in this study and was perceived to provide validation of one’s appearance and thus, reinforcing a focus on appearance. At the time of this study, Instagram had not yet begun its trial of no longer displaying the amount of ‘likes’ on posts. Further research with adolescent girls could explore their views on this change and its influence on appearance-based comparisons and social media activity among this group.

The role of schools, parents, peers and online sources in counteracting negative body image was highlighted by participants in this study, with emphasis placed on body image awareness, education and support being delivered by each of these sources. This finding supports existing research recommending an ecological approach to adolescent body image development, where all interactions in a girls’ environment can be influenced to prevent body dissatisfaction related to social media use [83]. Parents are a key influence on girls’ body image [84, 85], and research has found they can play a protective role in preadolescent and adolescent social media appearance comparisons and body dissatisfaction [86, 87]. Schools provide a setting in which content can be delivered in the classroom and whereby families, peers, teachers and other school staff can be engaged and involved in the implementation of health promotion interventions with a focus on body image [88]. When planning such interventions, it is important to consider girls’ age and developmental stage, as well as the influence and interaction of individual, family, peer, online, community, and school environments on their body image to counteract negative body image.

Congruent with research investigating social media literacy interventions as an emerging approach to address specific challenges to body image posed by social media [89], participants in this study perceived improved social media literacy among adolescent girls from a younger age, taught within the school curriculum, as important to counteracting negative body image. Social media literacy focuses on the interactions among users of social media, whether friends, other peers or celebrities, as well as developing the skills to examine the messages underlying commercial media advertising, including health and fitness, seen on social media [78]. This finding aligns with previous research which has observed favorable effects on body dissatisfaction, internalization of the thin ideal, appearance comparison, and self-esteem among girls following a pilot social media literacy intervention adapted from the ‘Happy Being Me’ program [90]. However, a recent randomized controlled trial found less effectiveness as a stand-alone intervention, with the appearance-comparison component found to be more effective [78]. Participants in the present study also identified appearance-based comparisons as a topic of concern to them, suggesting the need to include both social media literacy and appearance-comparison content in body dissatisfaction prevention interventions.

When discussing strategies for counteracting negative body image and the influence of social media, participants also referred to the importance of promoting positive body image through messaging focused on girls’ strengths rather than their appearance, body acceptance and ways to challenge unrealistic societal appearance ideals. This finding aligns with sociocultural theories such as the dual pathway model [68] suggesting the pressure among girls to conform to appearance ideals and the extent to which they internalize such ideals are important factors to target in interventions aimed at this group. To this effect, cognitive dissonance intervention the Body Project has a strong body of evidence supporting its effectiveness in increasing body appreciation and reducing thin-ideal internalization and body dissatisfaction among adolescent girls when implemented in schools [91,92,93,94,95]. The theoretical premise of the Body Project is that when there is a discrepancy between an individual’s beliefs and actions, they experience discomfort i.e. cognitive dissonance, which they then try to avoid, becoming motivated to re-assess their beliefs to align with their actions [96]. In the intervention, this is facilitated by group discussions and activities with adolescent girls where girls actively challenge appearance ideals with subsequent decreases in thin-ideal internalization and body dissatisfaction [91]. Additionally, research indicates acceptability of the intervention among adolescent girls, with the group setting contributing to their sense of belonging, particularly when facilitators are considered relatable, such as undergraduate female university students [95, 97].

The finding that any negative influence of social media on body image was not necessarily in relation to sexualized content highlights the importance of undertaking research with girls to better understand the mechanisms of social media’s influence on their body image. In this study, participants made negative comparisons with images of females on social media regardless of whether they were considered sexualized, with the influence of peer appearance comparisons more prominent. Research with adolescent girls will also enable them to inform and co-develop interventions to support their body image development and prevent or reduce harms experienced from their social media use in relation to body image, targeted to the needs and interests of their age group.

The current study contributes new knowledge from the perspective of adolescent girls to the existing literature on adolescent girls’ social media use and its influence on their body image. The findings of this study suggest that social media can have a negative influence on girls’ body image through negative appearance comparisons when viewing images on social media, exacerbating appearance-based concerns and body dissatisfaction. While negative comparisons were made irrespective of whether images were considered sexualized, findings suggested a level of self-objectification among adolescent girls whereby they viewed themselves in relation to their appearance. The important role of peers in appearance comparisons was also evident in this study. Participants also identified strategies to prevent and counteract negative body image, which have important implications for the development of health promotion programs addressing social media use and body image concerns among adolescent girls for prevention and early intervention that can minimize potential harms. For parents and professionals working with adolescent girls, particularly in the school setting, the findings can be applied in their work by providing education about social media and its influence on body image and strategies to prevent and counteract negative body image to support girls.

This study has several limitations that should be considered when interpreting its findings. This study was exploratory and limited by a small number of self-selected participants (n = 24). Therefore, its findings cannot be used to make assumptions about the population of girls aged between 14 and 17 years in Perth, Western Australia and does not claim to be representative of the broader population of girls. Findings may vary in other areas of Western Australia, Australia and internationally. However, qualitative research often uses smaller samples enabling the collection of in-depth information and providing direction for further research.

Additionally, participants’ own body image concerns/body dissatisfaction were not assessed as part of this study. The participating girls’ feelings about their body image may have influenced their perceptions of how social media influences body image among other girls.

The interpretation of this study’s findings may also be influenced by the characteristics of the participating girls. There were slightly more participants in this study aged between 16–17 years old, and these girls may have been using social media for longer compared to younger participants. Age and more years of experience using social media may have influenced participants’ interest in issues related to social media and thus their interest in participating in the study. In addition, all but one of the girls were from an English-speaking background and findings may differ among girls from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, as they may not feel they meet Western appearance ideals and may also experience different perceived sociocultural appearance-related pressures depending on their cultural background. Another limitation of this study was that most participants attended non-government and co-educational schools. It is possible that findings may be different among samples where girls largely attend government or all girls’ schools. As most participants attended non-government schools and were from higher socioeconomic backgrounds, they may have had increased access to digital technology and therefore use of social media. Additionally, girls from high socioeconomic backgrounds may experience differences in perceived appearance ideals compared to girls from different backgrounds. It would be useful for future research to explore further the perceptions of girls in government schools and all girls’ schools to allow for comparisons, especially in relation to peers and sexualized images with those in non-government and co-educational schools.