Young women and girls who post revealing pictures on social media are seen as less competent and less attractive by their peers, a new study shows
Girls who post 'sexy' pictures on social media sites are seen by their female peers as less pretty, less likely to get a job done and not someone they’d want to be friends with, a new study shows.
The Oregon State University asked 58 girls aged 13-18, and 60 women aged 17-25, what they thought of a girl when her Facebook profile picture was 'sexy', and when it was 'conservative'.
Researchers found that the less revealing pictures scored the highest in terms of the girl’s perceived physical attractiveness, social attractiveness and task competence.
The biggest difference was found in task competence - those girls with 'sexy' photos were seen as not able to complete a task.
[Source: Dr. Daniels of Oregon State University]
She advised girls and young women to select social media photos that showcase their identity rather than their looks, such as one from a holiday or one that shows them participating in a hobby or sport.
“Don’t focus so heavily on appearance,” Daniels said. “Focus on who you are as a person and what you do in the world.”
