Kate Stewart is a third-year PhD student in the School of Communication’s 2023 cohort. Her research examines how media shapes adolescents’ perceptions of body image and gender roles and their approaches to romantic and sexual relationships.
Her current project investigates social and media pressures surrounding romantic relationships. Many adolescents and college students feel left out or inadequate if they’re not dating, especially with constant messages from friends, family and the media that “everyone your age is in a relationship.” Stewart explores how these pressures affect self-worth, life satisfaction and identity.
“And so now what I do is a lot of research focused on adolescence and media, and the big issues they’re dealing with—like body image, gender roles and learning how to navigate romantic and sexual relationships,” Stewart said.
This fall, Stewart’s research on popular teen movies reeling back from visible signs of puberty was published in the Journal of Children and Media. She began this research during her graduate work at Indiana University where she analyzed how puberty is portrayed in popular coming-of-age films such as The Hunger Games, Divergent and The DUFF. The findings showed that most teenage characters were played by actors in their mid-20s, with flawless skin and perfect bodies. Rarely did the movies show realistic depictions of adolescence. Almost all characters also experienced romantic success, which doesn’t reflect many teens’ real-life struggles.
Stewart recently helped lead a study on male body image by comparing two Tom Holland films: Spider-Man, where he plays a teenager, and Uncharted, where he plays an adult. Participants ranged from 13-year-old boys to men in their 50s. Her research found that males of all ages felt worse about their bodies after watching Holland, whether he was portrayed as a teenager or an adult. The findings show that body image pressures extend to men as well as women. Stewart’s long-term goal is to bring greater attention to male body image and expand research on how romantic media, beyond just sexual media, shape the way young people think about relationships.
“I’d like to keep waving the flag that body image isn’t just a women’s issue,” she said. “When we constantly show men with six-packs and unrealistic physiques, it’s harmful for boys, too.”
At Ohio State, Stewart is advised by Associate Professor James (Alex) Bonus. Before coming to Ohio State, she earned her bachelor's degree in public relations and her master’s degree in media arts and sciences from Indiana University. Through her graduate studies, she realized she could combine her two passions, advocacy for children and women and the study of media psychology. That realization led her to pursue research on adolescents, media and the societal messages they receive.
“I want to continue working on male body image—and also on how romantic media teaches young people about dating, flirting and relationships.”
Written by student Ellie Kulberg