For individuals in the adolescent stage, there are many experiences and social pressures that they face on a daily basis. In this period of development, adolescents are starting to really ask themselves questions like “Who am I?” As teenagers search for answers, they are bombarded by certain influential factors that can hinder or help them. Many of the social tensions help the individual define himself and his social stature position. A particularly influential factor in the teen community is body image. Body image is an issue that has always been of great concern to teenagers. A person's appearance can determine who they associate with, how they are perceived, and how they express themselves. Most of the time in this stage of life the way an individual sees themselves can affect them in certain ways, such as their psyche. The effects of body image for adolescents can cause some psychological disorders such as dysmorphophobia, eating disorders and early sexual practices. Body image can cause the psychological disorder dysmorphia in adolescents. Dysmorphophobia, also known as body dysmorphic disorder, is described by Philips and Rogers (2011) as “a distressing or disabling preoccupation with apparently nonexistent or slight defects.” According to Bolton (2010) usually the person suffering from the disorder is constantly fixated on staring at or inspecting a part of their body that they may perceive as their greatest imperfection. This disorder primarily begins in early adolescence, when individuals begin to mature more physically. Due to society being so absorbed in the topic of image, many teenagers are developing this disorder and constantly try to fixate on what primarily concerns their body image. Damage to the emphasis on body image causes psychological effects such as dysmorphophobia, eating disorders and early sexual practices. Instead of focusing on how to be like everyone else, there should be more advertising for these teenagers on how to love themselves. Since this stage is usually one of discovery, it is time for young people to discover their individuality rather than suffer society's abuse. Works Cited Berk, L. E. (2008). Exploring lifespan development (1st ed.). New York: Pearson.Bolton MA, Lobben I, Stern A. The impact of body image on patient care. Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry. 2010;12 pii: PCC.10r00947.Phillips KA, Rogers J. Cognitive-behavioral therapy for youth with body dysmorphic disorder: Current status and future directions. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2011;20(2):287–304.