What this file is
This is a companion “receipts” document for Chapter 10. It lists the most useful studies, reports, and review papers that support the chapter’s main claims, plus quick phrasing you can borrow when you want to justify a point without turning the chapter into a journal article.
The chapter’s core claims (in plain English)
- Social comparison and feedback-seeking (especially when quantified by likes/follows) are associated with worse mental health outcomes for many adolescents.
- Platforms amplify peer influence (likes change what teens prefer) and make “belonging” feel measurable.
- AI adds new accelerants: easier appearance editing, synthetic popularity (bots), and synthetic humiliation (deepfakes).
- Belonging (school connectedness + one safe relationship) is protective; it’s one of the strongest buffers against comparison-driven distress.
- Gratitude and contribution shift identity from “How do I look?” to “Who do I help?” and are consistently linked to better well-being.
- Repair culture (restorative practices) can reduce bullying and improve climate when implemented well.
Quick “evidence map” (useful when you’re revising)
Optional add-ons (extra sources if you want more firepower)
- Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has documented rapid growth in AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery and how AI can be abused for sexual exploitation. (Useful if you want a stronger ‘why deepfakes matter’ section.)
- European Parliament Research Service has a briefing on children and deepfakes (useful for policy framing and mitigation strategies).
- Bonfanti et al. (2025) meta-analysis links online social comparison with body image and eating disorder-related outcomes (useful if you want a deeper body-image thread).
Full reference list
[1] Pew Research Center. (2023, Dec 11). Teens, Social Media and Technology 2023. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2023/12/11/teens-social-media-and-technology-2023/
[2] Sherman, L. E., Payton, A. A., Hernandez, L. M., Greenfield, P. M., & Dapretto, M. (2016). The Power of the Like in Adolescence: Effects of Peer Influence on Neural and Behavioral Responses to Social Media. Psychological Science, 27(7), 1027-1035. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797616645673
[3] Nesi, J., & Prinstein, M. J. (2015). Using Social Media for Social Comparison and Feedback-Seeking: Gender and Popularity Moderate Associations With Depressive Symptoms. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 43, 1427-1438. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5985443/
[4] McComb, C. A., & Mills, J. S. (2023). A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Social Media Exposure to Upward Comparison Targets on Self-Evaluations and Emotions. Communication Research, 50(8), 1158-1185. https://doi.org/10.1080/15213269.2023.2180647
[5] Ozimek, P., Baer, F., & Förster, J. (2023). How photo editing in social media shapes self-perceived attractiveness and self-esteem via self-objectification and physical appearance comparisons. Current Psychology, 42, 18947-18961. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-023-01143-0
[6] Rajanala, S., Maymone, M. B. C., & Vashi, N. A. (2018). Selfies - Living in the Era of Filtered Photographs. JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, 20(6), 443-444. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamafacial.2018.0486
[7] Ganson, K. T., et al. (2024). Use of photo filters is associated with muscle dysmorphia symptomatology. Body Image, 48, 94-101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2024.02.002
[8] Gao, Y., et al. (2025). Does Social Bot Help Socialize? Evidence from a Social Media Experiment. Information Systems Research. https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2024.1089
[9] Haimson, O. L., Doss, C. J., & Reich, J. (2025). Artificially Intelligent Bullies: Dealing with Deepfakes in K-12 Schools. RAND. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA3930-5.html
[10] Thorn. (2025, Mar). Deepfake Nudes and Young People. https://info.thorn.org/hubfs/Research/Thorn_DeepfakeNudes%26YoungPeople_Mar2025.pdf
[11] Raniti, M., et al. (2022). The role of school connectedness in the prevention of youth depression and anxiety: A systematic review with narrative synthesis. Adolescent Research Review, 7, 179-201. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36424575/
[12] Shinde, S., et al. (2018). Promoting school climate and health outcomes with the SEHER multi-component secondary school health promotion intervention in Bihar, India: A cluster-randomised trial. The Lancet, 392(10163), 2465-2477. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31615-5
[13] Lodi, E., Perrella, R., Lepri, A., & Scarpa, F. (2021). Use of Restorative Justice and Restorative Practices at School: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(1), 96. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8751228/
[14] Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). (2023, Nov 14). Volunteering benefits young adults' wellbeing and confidence as adults. https://www.esri.ie/news/volunteering-benefits-young-adults-wellbeing-and-confidence-as-adults
[15] Li, X., et al. (2024). Family rituals and the quality of adolescents' friendships: The serial mediating role of perceived parental support and the meaning in life. Current Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-06902-9
[16] Victoria-Montesinos, D., et al. (2023). Are family meals and social eating behaviour associated with depression, anxiety and stress in adolescents? Clinical Nutrition, 42(7), 1590-1598. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36857959/
[17] Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). (2024). How AI is being abused to create child sexual abuse imagery (research updates). https://www.iwf.org.uk/about-us/why-we-exist/our-research/how-ai-is-being-abused-to-create-child-sexual-abuse-imagery/
[18] European Parliamentary Research Service. (2025). Children and deepfakes (briefing). https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2025/775855/EPRS_BRI%282025%29775855_EN.pdf
[19] Bonfanti, R. C., et al. (2025). Online social comparison and body image concerns: A systematic review and meta-analysis (2008–2024). Body Image. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144524001633