Sexually Objectifying Media Exposure and Girls’ Internalization of Beauty Ideals, Self-Objectification, and Body Surveillance

This study (n= 558; Mean age= 15.6, SD=1.49) investigated how exposure to sexually objectifying music television, primetime television programs, fashion magazines and social networking sites is related to the internalization of beauty ideals, self-objectification and body surveillance among adolescent girls. Structural equation models for each type of sexually objectifying media showed direct relationships between sexually objectifying media and the internalization of beauty ideals and indirect relationships between sexually objectifying media and self-objectification and body surveillance through the internalization of beauty ideals. The direct relationships between sexually objectifying media and self-objectification and between sexually objectifying media and body surveillance differed across the types of sexually objectifying media. The discussion focuses on the implications of these findings to explain self-objectification among girls.