Abstract
Adolescent girls may use celebrity idols as avenues to safely explore their sexual needs and desires. Using a sample of U.S. adolescent girls, the researchers examined the relationship between celebrity idolization and four aspects of the girls’ sexual self-concept. Results indicated that celebrity idolization was positively associated with sexual anxiety, sexual self-esteem, and enjoyment of sexualization but was negatively associated with sexual self-efficacy. When broken down by sexual identity (i.e., heterosexual or LGBQ+), however, the relationships only remained significant for heterosexual girls. Overall, results suggest that celebrity idols can function as potential targets for romantic/sexual development for heterosexual teen girls, but for LGBQ+ girls, there is still more to understand about how they develop and process their sexual self-concept beyond heteronormative celebrities.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Teens, Sex, and Media Effects |
| Subtitle of host publication | Understanding Media's Influence on Adolescent Sexuality, Sexual Health, and Advocacy |
| Publisher | Taylor and Francis |
| Pages | 69-82 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781040266557 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781032648880 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2024 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Social Sciences
- General Arts and Humanities
- General Psychology
- General Medicine