Dove Survey: Half of All Girls Say Beauty Advice on Social Media Causes Low Self-Esteem

Dove Self-Esteem Project’s #DetoxYourFeed campaign empowers teens to unfollow anyone who doesn't make them feel good about themselves.

Two in three girls in the US are spending more than an hour each day on social media.  Beauty advice fills their feeds, but unfortunately, it is not all positive.  In fact, one of two girls say idealized beauty content on social media causes low self-esteem, according to The Dove Self-Esteem Project research.

The majority of girls realize that less time on social media and taking control of what they scroll, is part of the solution. In fact, 7 in 10 girls felt better after unfollowing idealized beauty content on social media.

For years, Dove has championed wider definitions of beauty and has taken action towards making social media a more positive place with campaigns like #SpeakBeautiful, #NoDigitalDistortion and Reverse Selfie/Selfie Talk.

Now, the Dove Self-Esteem Project is launching the #DetoxYourFeed campaign to empower teens to define their own beauty standards and choose their own influences by inviting them to unfollow anything that doesn't make them feel good about themselves. 

Through a series of films, educational content, and partnerships with inspiring voices, the campaign encourages necessary conversations between parents, caregivers and teens about the dangers of toxic beauty advice.

In a longform campaign film, Toxic Influence, moms and their teens engage in a dialogue around harmful beauty advice on social media. The film highlights dangerous topics like "fitspo," "thinspo" and the promotion of elective cosmetic procedures to young girls. Moms who participated were surprised to learn that this type of harmful beauty advice has become normalized for their daughters. They were inspired to have the important conversations around what their daughters are seeing in their feeds.

"We've identified a clear problem that is eroding the self-esteem of our girls and needs immediate attention and action. We created this #DetoxYourFeed campaign to not only raise awareness around the insidious nature of toxic beauty advice, but to also help parents navigate tough conversations and empower teens to unfollow content that makes them feel bad about themselves," says Leandro Barreto, Global Vice President of Dove, in a news release. "While it may be a bit overwhelming at times, we hope it will contribute to important conversations that lead to a more positive experience for teens on social media."

Fully 80 percent of girls would like their parents to talk to them about how to manage idealized beauty posts, so the Dove Self-Esteem Project has developed academically-validated resources and tools to help parents navigate important conversations with their kids and empower teens to #DetoxYourFeed:

"Detox Your Feed: The Parents Guide" – a three-minute educational film for parents, caregivers and mentors on facilitating conversations with young people about the harms of social media.

"The Confidence Kit" – free Dove Self-Esteem Project workbook and tool featuring a new section, "Detox Your Feed: Talking to Your Kids About Toxic Social Media Advice."

Additional resources to change the way parents and teens think and talk about beauty will also be made available. The Dove Real Talk Parent workshop – a free, virtual, live-stream event and Q&A session being held on May 12th with cultural expert Jess Weiner and leading psychotherapist Nadia Addesi – will provide parents with the tools to fight toxic influence on teens' social media feeds.

Registered Social Worker & Psychotherapist, Nadia Addesi, who has used her expertise to foster digital self-esteem for her community on TikTok, says "This campaign is important as public discourse grows around the harmful effects social media can have on girls. It contextualizes the insidious nature of harmful beauty advice that's become normalized in teens' feeds. While it might feel harmless, given half of girls say social media causes low self-esteem, ongoing exposure has the potential to have a negative and lasting impact."

To help spread the #DetoxYourFeed message, Dove is partnering with Gabrielle Union and Zaya Wade to remind everyone that the power to curate your feed and overall experience with social media is in your hands. "As a parent and someone who's felt the pressures from social media to look perfect, it's important to me that people realize what's on their teens' feeds and help them confidently navigate conversations about it.' says Gabrielle Union. Zaya Wade adds, "I want people to know they can prioritize themselves and set boundaries on social media, and that it can be a positive place if you unfollow content that doesn't make you feel good."

About the survey 

The online survey was conducted by Edelman DXI, a global, multidisciplinary research, analytics and data consultancy, in the USA between February and April 2022 respectively with 524 and 1,027 girls aged 10-17 as well as 1,501 and 1,027 mothers and parents.