Outcomes of a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial of the SoMe Social Media Literacy Program for Improving Body Image-Related Outcomes in Adolescent Boys and Girls

Abstract

Although the negative effect of social media use among youth on body image and eating concerns has been established, few classroom-based resources that can decrease these effects through targeting social media literacy skills have been developed. This study aimed to test the efficacy of SoMe, a social media literacy body image, dieting, and wellbeing program for adolescents, through a cluster randomized controlled trial. Participants (n = 892; Mage = 12.77, SD = 0.74; range 11–15; 49.5% male) were randomized by school (n = 8) to receive either weekly SoMe (n = 483) or control sessions (lessons as usual; n = 409) over 4 weeks in their classroom. Participants completed surveys at four timepoints (baseline, 1-week post-intervention, and 6- and 12-month follow-up) assessing body dissatisfaction, dietary restraint, strategies to increase muscles (primary outcomes), self-esteem and depressive symptoms (secondary outcomes), and internalization of appearance ideals and appearance comparison (exploratory outcomes). Modest positive intervention effects were found in dietary restraint and depressive symptoms at 6-month follow-up in girls but few positive effects emerged for boys. The findings provide only preliminary support for a social media literacy intervention, but suggest the usefulness of both identifying those who benefit most from a universally delivered intervention and the need to refine the intervention to maximize intervention effects.

Targeting the link between social media and eating disorder risk: A randomized controlled pilot study

“…This requires further examination in an adequately powered trial but suggests the self‐criticism intervention may be at least as effective as previous interventions. Evaluations of some prior interventions included a follow‐up period examining a longer timespan than the present study (8 weeks to 12 months: Bell et al, 2021; Gordon et al, 2021; Svantorp‐Tveiten et al, 2021). Use of a brief follow‐up period and low power at follow‐up limited the present study, preventing conclusions about maintenance of effects or comparison with previous interventions.…”

“…It yielded similar improvements to the self‐criticism intervention on appearance comparison at one‐ and two‐weeks postrandomization. This condition included a module to increase social media literacy, an approach that has shown some success in previous interventions (Gordon et al, 2021; McLean et al, 2017). The tripartite influence model (Thompson et al, 1999) would suggest that reducing exposure to appearance ideals on social media leads to reduced pressure to meet those ideals and fewer appearance comparisons, and curating the social media feed may have achieved this.…”

“…To date, five interventions have been evaluated that seek to interrupt this relationship between social media, appearance comparison, and body image/disordered eating. Four were classroom interventions targeting adolescents: a single‐session intervention challenging social media ideals (Bell et al, 2021); two social media literacy interventions (Gordon et al, 2021; McLean et al, 2017); and a three‐workshop intervention comprising one workshop about social media (Svantorp‐Tveiten et al, 2021). The only intervention not delivered to adolescents in classrooms was a brief self‐compassion writing task trialed with adult women prior to exposure to thin‐ideal Instagram images (Gobin et al, 2022).…”

“…These interventions had some favorable results, but effects were generally null to small, with few moderate and none large. There were no improvements on some key variables and in one study, poorer outcomes for the intervention group than the control group on some variables (Gordon et al, 2021).…”

The Perfect Storm: A Developmental–Sociocultural Framework for the Role of Social Media in Adolescent Girls’ Body Image Concerns and Mental Health

“…School- and community-based preventive interventions can educate girls regarding SM-related risks for body image concerns, by increasing media skepticism, awareness of advertisers’ motives, and rejection of unrealistic appearance ideals (e.g., Gordon et al, 2020 ; McLean et al, 2016 ). Initial evaluation of a classroom-based SM literacy intervention showed evidence of modest improvements in girls’ dietary restraint and depressive symptoms over time (Gordon et al, 2021 ). Another single-session classroom-based intervention utilizing cognitive dissonance techniques and SM literacy skills found improved thin ideal internalization one week after the intervention, an effect sustained to the 8-week follow-up, among girls but not boys (Bell et al, 2021 ).…”