An Experimental Assessment of the Effects of K-Pop Music Video Exposure on Teenagers’ Negative Body Image

Exposure to K-Pop music videos has been associated with increased negative body image in prior correlational work. Here, we experimentally assessed the causal link between exposure to K-Pop music videos and negative body image in teenagers. To investigate, we recruited a sample of 76 teenagers from high schools in the United States and Europe. Participants first rated their body image perception (pre-test) after which they were randomly assigned to watch a K-Pop music video (Experimental Condition) or a classical music video (Control Condition). Finally, participants rated their body image again (post-test). We did not find a causal relationship between K-Pop music video exposure and negative body image in teenagers. In exploratory analyses, we found that baseline levels of negative body image are lower in European compared to American teenagers. We discuss these results in the context of beauty standards across cultures.