b'"Parents need to understand the impact of socialMIRROR, media on their children and teens. Access to personal devices, which allow young people to see and beMIRROR, seen, affects how they see themselves. I beg parents to look at giving kids access to devices in the same ON MY way they would provide access to a car. Would you give your child the keys without instruction first?"PHONE By Susan Sugerman, MD, MPH | ContributorStatistics since the 1980s show significant concerns about body image self-perception among children and teens.It is well known we live in a toxic society that promotes unrealistic expectations aroundbeautyandwhatisconsiderednormalaroundbody shape and size.Why worry any more (or less) now?Hmmm, let me put out a text messageI mean Facebookno Instagram (or is it Snapchat?) posting to my friends to see what they think.Whiletheinternetandsocialmediacanbeagoodthing, marryingthiswiththeselfieculturecanbackfire,especially with regard to body self-assessment.Recent data shows increased amount of time spent on social media correlates with greater body image dissatisfaction (Puglia, UNC Chapel Hill).Another study finds that teens who spend more time choosing and editing their photos for their social media postings are more dissatisfied with their bodies. The same study found unhappiness with body image among both boys and girls (Salomon and Brown, University of Kentucky).We know teens want to feel relevant and accepted.In a world that can be more virtual than real, should be we surprised?A DEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVEYou will hear me say (or see me write) over and over againkids are kids, from generation to generation, but the landscape they are living in is vastly different and far more challenging.To make sense of recent trends in body image and self-esteem, we need to understand them in the context of child and adolescent development.Young children become aware of themselves in space and time during the toddler years.By age 4, they make comparisons to others, usually around clothing and hair.They know that the good In high school, 70% of normal weight girls have dieted. And they believe this is normal and perfectly fine. GoodLifeFamilyMag.comJANUARY | FEBRUARY 2020 59'