Sexy Social-Media Photos: Not as Attractive as Our Young Women Think?

A study by Oregon State University has determined that young women who post sexy photos on social-media sites are viewed as less competent and attractive by their female peers. However, it’s also a well-known fact that our girls are under a lot of pressure to look sexy online, and choosing not to post pictures could result in receiving less attention from romantic interests. What’s a girl to do?Being Attractive: It’s Not Always About Dressing SexyIn the study, two pretend Facebook accounts were created. They were given the same name, and each profile was completed with the same interests and ideas. A conservative portrait of a teenage girl was placed on the first profile, and on the second, a much-sexier picture of the same girl was used.A group of 58 teenage girls and 60 adult females were polled on their reactions to these pictures. The less-sexy picture scored much higher in the areas of physical attractiveness, competency and friendship. The biggest gap was in the area of competency, which means that a single sexy photo can go a long way in ruining a young girl’s reputation.Social Media: It’s Here to Stay

Like it or not, social media is now a part of our lives, and it isn’t likely to vanish anytime in the near future. Therefore, it’s important that we begin teaching our young people how to properly use it. If we pay attention to what our kids are doing online, we will be better able to offer them guidance. Turning a blind eye because you can’t deal with your daughter’s photos is a big mistake. It’s up to you to teach her how to take a classy and beautiful photograph.

As a culture, we need to stop focusing on appearance. The pressure on our young women to be beautiful has to stop. If we can help our daughters choose respectable social-media photos, we can help them begin to build a solid identity for themselves. Encourage your daughter to feature her artwork, sporting triumphs or guitar skills on her social-media sites. Help her understand why she’s worth more than a sexy picture.