This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Prom is one of the most exciting events on the school calendar for many high school seniors. Young people can spend months choosing outfits, planning a hairstyle and trying different makeup looks.
For some teens, it may even be their first time wearing a suit or a more "dressy" dress. But while proms make for great high school memories, some young people might experience increased anxiety about their body image and feel enormous pressure to look a certain way on the night. Many people think "body image" simply refers to how someone feels about their body size or shape.
However, body image is much broader than this. Body image refers to the thoughts, feelings and beliefs we have about our body and physical appearance. This can include our weight and shape, but also features such as our hair, skin, height, facial features and other aspects of how we look.
It also includes what we believe our appearance says about us as a person, and how we think other people perceive and judge our appearance. For example, a teenager struggling with their body image might think, "if I lose weight, I'll look better in my dress." But underneath that can be a bigger belief, such as, "if I look better, people will like me more." They may give their appearance more power over how they feel about themselves than it deserves. Body image isn't just a girls' issue either.
Boys can be affected by body dissatisfaction and experience pressure to be lean, muscular or athletic. Social media can turn up the volume on all of this. Research shows that social media gives teenagers many more opportunities to compare their appearance with other people, such as friends, influencers and celebrities.
The more often teens make these comparisons, the easier it can be to decide their own body doesn't measure up to perceived beauty standards. Prom season can bring these worries to the surface. In the lead-up to the event, a teenager might scroll through hundreds of images of dresses, suits, bodies, makeup, hairstyles and "prom transformations" (when teenagers post comparisons of their before-and-after looks when getting ready).
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