by Laura Vandenbosch and Jasmina Rosič, KU Leuven, Department of Communication Science, Media Psychology Lab, Belgium.
In the years after the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization urged renewed attention to teens’ mental health. The warning signs are hard to ignore: worldwide, roughly one in seven teens aged 10–19 struggles with a mental disorder such as anxiety or depression. These struggles are often linked to rising concerns about performance pressure and appearance anxieties. In public debate, one suspect is repeatedly pulled into the spotlight: digital media. This is hardly surprising, as every day teens scroll through images of glamorous lives, flawless faces, and endless success—and are encouraged to stay constantly connected to their digital devices.
The MIMIc project launched with two guiding questions: “Do teens mimic the lifestyles they encounter on their screens, and how do they navigate the omnipresence of smartphones in their lives—their digital well-being?” What followed over the next years was an intercultural investigation into the links between digital media use and teens’ lives, and especially the conditions and nuances needed to understand these links. Through a series of qualitative studies, cross-sectional studies and an innovative triangulation of advanced methods—including content analyses, data donation, longitudinal research, and experience sampling studies conducted across Slovenia, France, and Belgium—the project pieced together a rare panoramic view of teens’ digital worlds.
Three big insights stood out.
First, MIMIc showed that today’s media figures shape the ideals teens encounter. Musicians and influencers don’t simply entertain—they embody ideals about appearance and successful lifestyle. One study found that 100% of the influencers most followed by European teens represented beauty ideals. Popular music paints a similar picture: analyses of top Spotify songs revealed that success is often shown in messages about jewellery and luxury goods. These messages continue to be framed through a gendered lens in which women still appear as objects of male success.
Teens don’t just watch, they mimic. Data donation research showed that many present themselves online in highly curated ways, emphasising attractiveness and adopting gendered cues in their pictures or captions. Emotional honesty rarely appears: negative feelings and imperfect moments are rarely visible in their public posts. The result is a culture where “picture perfect” is not just a trend—it is the standard.
Second, while many teens navigate their digital lives smoothly, a sizeable group struggles with their digital connectivity. About half of the teens followed over a year consistently posted appearance-focused content. This pattern often grew alongside rising appearance worries and was more common among girls. Another long-term challenge involved a group of teens who felt they could not control the time spent on their smartphones; this sense of lost control increased over the year. Boys, teens whose parents had fewer digital skills, and teens whose parents rarely discussed online habits with them were especially likely to experience this growing sense of loss of control. But not all effects develop over longer periods: daily diary research showed that on days when teens feel bad about their digital well-being, their self-esteem and happiness also decline.
Third, MIMIc also uncovered the bright spots of digital media uses that often get lost in the headlines. For example, teens who regularly posted about their friends also felt more secure about their friendships. And when teens encountered empowering content like body-positive posts, they felt more confident in their own bodies. Finally, teens who see their smartphones as tools for boosting positive emotions report higher self-esteem.
Together, MIMIc offers a rare view of how media weave into European teens’ lives and highlights both the pressures and potentials of the digital world. The project’s insights already shape conversations on digital well-being, media literacy, and youth empowerment, pointing toward a digital future where teens can connect and grow without losing themselves to the glow of the screen.
You can find all of the references collected in a PDF here.
Authors
Prof. Dr. Laura Vandenbosch, Associate Professor and Director at the Media Psychology Lab, Department of Communication Science, KU Leuven, Belgium.
Dr. Jasmina Rosič, a postdoctoral researcher at the Media Psychology Lab, Department of Communication Science, KU Leuven, Belgium.
