The role of social media engagement in shaping preadolescents’ body image and emotional intelligence: a cross-sectional study

Body image (BI) and emotional intelligence (EI) are crucial for the development of preadolescents. However, the widespread use of social media (SM) may have negative effects. Overall, 1109 preadolescents completed an anonymous questionnaire. Results show a negative correlation between social media use and both body image and emotional intelligence. These findings suggest the need for new educational strategies to address social media's impacts on these important aspects of youth development.