As New Zealand policymakers start to question the effect of increasing exposure to, and use of, social media by children and young people, research co-author and University of Otago marketing researcher Prof Lisa McNeill has called on the government to reflect on how children are engaging with such media.
Prof McNeill said 502 children and parents were surveyed to determine how imagery of people with seemingly perfect teeth in digital marketing and on social media affected how young people felt about their own teeth.
The study found dental appearance was not merely an aesthetic attribute in digital marketing, it was a visible marker through which social acceptability, confidence and perceived health were evaluated.
As a result, the research recommended policymakers move away from idealised smile imagery in oral health marketing.
‘‘This research highlights one form of impact related to mental health and wellbeing.
‘‘Social media use can have real consequences for children, and it is important to reflect on how children are engaging with such media.’’
She said low dental self-confidence could lead to adolescents perceiving themselves as inferior to their peers — whether online, or in person — and could lead to feelings of shame, inadequacy and jealousy.
‘‘Within visually comparative digital environments, where idealised images are algorithmically amplified and continuously circulated, dental self-confidence becomes vulnerable to erosion,’’ she said.
The impact was stronger if adolescents were active users of social media, which included posting photos, commenting, talking to friends, or making videos, as opposed to passive users, which included scrolling, observing and liking without posting or creating content.
The study’s authors said their research highlighted several key implications for practice.
At a policy level, they recommend oral health messaging move towards more achievable norms of good oral health and function.
In terms of digital platform governance, they said the findings gave ‘‘empirical support’’ to platform-level interventions such as restricting algorithmic amplification of cosmetic dentistry and influencer-driven smile content in feeds served to under-18 accounts.
‘‘We recommend policymakers take action so that the disclosure regime for adolescent-targeted health and appearance advertising explicitly recognises appearance-sensitive minors as a protected consumer segment,’’ Prof McNeill said.
‘‘Dental professionals’ conversations with children should extend beyond clinical outcomes and include discussions about confidence, social experiences, and digital influences on how they perceive their image.’’
john.lewis@odt.co.nz
