The society views adolescent girls and boys differently, and this has an impact on their body image. Adolescents, whether female or male pay much attention to their body image because they naturally get concerned about the public opinion about them. When one is worried about what other people talk about them, they find an urgent need of improving their body image to get positive opinions. However, in some instances, the public the adolescents seek approval or positive views from about their bodies may be imaginary. It is fanciful in the sense that the public understands that the body changes that come with the adolescence occur by nature.
Family Influence
Carlson, (2004) examined how psychological, social, and biological factors cause body dissatisfaction using a longitudinal study of adolescents. The findings of this research indicate that the boys get dissatisfied with their bodies through muscularity ideals influenced by their parents, especially fathers. The bond between a father and son, influence the adolescent boy in the sense that the man will urge the boy to be strong, courageous and aggressive. There is a perception that the boy child always bonds with the father while the daughter bonds with the mother. The perception influences the adolescent boys and girls views on body image. As an adolescent boy, one would desire to be muscular perhaps as their father or any male family member (Carey, Donaghue, & Broderick, 2013). On the other hand, a mother would influence what her daughter would eat, and advise them not to eat certain foods which in their belief can make them obese. The warning against eating some foodstuffs made girls more sensitive and dissatisfied with their body mass. Among girls, the body dissatisfaction is firmly grounded on the appearance discussion with their friends, body mass and social comparisons. From this analysis, a family is the first agent of socialization that defines masculinity to the boy, and send messages, verbally and non-verbally about the ideal body mass of both a girl and child. Hence, a family, primarily through the father, educates the boys to be masculine. While the girl's eating habit or diet is watched by their mothers, who encourage them to be watchful on their body mass.
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Peer Influence
The peer culture is more likely to influence girls over body dissatisfactions than boys. The girls are concerned about their appearance while boys are more interested in their internalized commitment to muscularity. In the review of the Carey, Donaghue, and Broderick, (2013) research, the peer culture is the dominant reason girls are dissatisfied with their body images. Girls are likely to be concerned about things that improve their looks because that is what the peer culture approves. Girls can even complain about certain body parts and wish if they can correct them to be like the person they compare themselves with. Although girls do not have the power to control the development of their bodies, the appearance culture created by peers force them to use makeup with an ultimate goal to improve their looks. On the flip side, peer influence provokes boys into engaging in exercise activities that will enhance their body mass and masculinity. Intrinsically peers will always try to encourage boys to do that which is described to be of a man. A boy will want to be seen as a man, and able to make independent decisions and have control over their lives due to peer influence.
Developmental Factors
Girls are more affected by self-esteem than boys. According to Clay, Vignoles, and Dittmar, (2005) in the Western cultures, the self-esteem of girls decreases considerably when they are in middle adolescence. This is due to body image, and the physical changes that occur because of physical development that occur in their bodies disturb them. Generally, a physical development accompanied by developing body parts cause the fear of becoming a grown-up thus lowering their self-esteem. During adolescence, cognitive development enables girls to understand and analyze what an ideal body as portrayed in the media. The media creates an impression that beauty is defined by having a model-like body. It is such creation that makes girls worry about their body mass. If their body mass increases beyond the one projected in the media self-esteem will go down. On the other hand, this is rare among boys, because for them when in adolescence their self-esteem increases. As a body child develops, there is a tendency among parents to encourage their sons that they have evolved into a man. In a scenario, when a boy observes somebody changes which ideally are a sign of becoming a fully-fledged man in the society, they will develop high esteem. Besides, the media also defines a real man to be muscular, enduring and well-built. In some situations that encourage boys to enroll in fitness exercises, to increase body mass to be seen as more developed physically, emotionally and cognitively. Generally, the point is that Vignoles, and Dittmar, (2005) believe that the self-esteem of girls is usually affected in their middle adolescence especially if they do not get the body image that is perceived to model-like.
In summary, research is showing that girls are more dissatisfied with their bodies than men, who in some instances are never bothered about their appearance. For girls, they engage in social comparisons, which necessarily is detrimental especially if one's friends disapprove their presence. Girls participate in a beauty contest, and if one feels that they are not beautiful based on the comparison, their self-esteem will always be punctured. The socio-cultural factors that create a perception that a woman's value is measured by their beauty make girls more concerned about their looks when boys are comfortable with their looks because society believes that a man is defined by masculinity.
References
Carey, R. N., Donaghue, N., & Broderick, P. (2013). Peer culture and body image concern among Australian adolescent girls: A hierarchical linear modeling analysis. Sex Roles, 69(5-6), 250-263.
Carlson Jones, D. (2004). Body image among adolescent girls and boys: a longitudinal study. Developmental psychology, 40(5), 823.
Clay, D., Vignoles, V. L., & Dittmar, H. (2005). Body image and self ‐ esteem among adolescent girls: Testing the influence of sociocultural factors. Journal of research on adolescence, 15(4), 451-477.
