The role of task relevance and information credibility in adolescents’ internalization of and reliance on social media ideals

Abstract

Expanding on theory of norm internalization and literature on credibility heuristics, this study examined whether (a) peers can increase the perceived task relevance and credibility of social media ideals (i.e. appearance-related norms promoted on social media) and (b) increased perceptions of task relevance (i.e. usefulness of social media ideals for body image improvement) and credibility facilitate reliance on social media for appearance information and thin/athletic-ideal internalization. To examine these relationships, we used two-wave panel data (N_{w1 & w2} = 657) gathered among Belgian adolescents (14–18 years). Structural equation analyses indicated that peer appearance conversations were associated with increased perceived task relevance and credibility of social media ideals. In turn, task relevance and credibility were positively related to thin/athletic-ideal internalization and informational reliance on social, respectively. These findings suggest that peer conversations contribute to a positive evaluation of social media ideals and in doing so indirectly contribute to thin/athletic-ideal internalization.