Bodies on Display: A Scoping Review of Appearance-Focused Social Media, Body Image, Self-Esteem, and Psychological Wellbeing in Adolescent Girls and Young Women.

BACKGROUND

The widespread use of appearance-focused social media platforms has transformed how body-related attitudes are constructed, internalized, and evaluated, particularly among adolescent girls and young women, yet the existing literature remains heterogeneous in conceptual frameworks, populations, and outcome measures.

OBJECTIVE

This scoping review maps the extent, nature, and characteristics of the available evidence on the relationship between appearance-focused social media use, body image, self-esteem, and psychological wellbeing in adolescent girls and young women.

METHODS

Following PRISMA-ScR, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies on female samples aged 10-30; data were charted and synthesized descriptively.

RESULTS

Fifty-eight studies (2014-2026) met the inclusion criteria. Evidence was concentrated in Australia and the United States and skewed toward emerging adults, with adolescent girls aged 10-17 examined in only nine studies. Appearance-focused engagement was consistently linked to body dissatisfaction, body surveillance, drive for thinness, and negative affect, with appearance comparison, internalization of appearance ideals, and self-objectification emerging as recurrent explanatory mechanisms. Body positive and body neutrality content emerged as the most promising protective categories.

CONCLUSIONS

The review clarifies current evidence and identifies critical gaps for future research, informing clinical, educational, and preventive interventions.