The Impact of Playing Super U on Pre-adolescents' Body Image

Body image concerns can have serious physical and psychological consequences on young people, including anxiety, depression, risk taking behaviours, eating disorders and suicidal ideation. Micro-interventions (brief, low intensity interventions), offer an alternative to traditional, intense interventions that aim to immediately improve specific symptoms. Body image micro-interventions have proven effective at providing immediate and short-term improvements in body image among adolescents within digital and community settings. To date, utilising micro interventions in the world of gaming remains unexplored. Specifically, the Roblox platform which is hugely popular among young people (Roblox, September 2022). As such, the aim of the present study is to conduct a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the immediate and short-term impact of a Roblox game, Super U story, on American children and adolescents' body image, mood, internalisation of appearance ideals and social media literacy. The primary outcome is immediate change in state-based body satisfaction. Secondary outcomes include immediate changes in state-based mood and body functionality and short-term changes in trait body esteem, body appreciation, internalisation of appearance ideals and social media literacy. The Super U story was developed through a collaboration between Dove (Unilever), Toya (game developers) and The Centre for Appearance Research. It was specifically designed to target sociocultural risk and protective factors for body image including social media literacy, appearance comparisons, positive body image and teasing/bullying around appearance. The comparison control conditions include an active control; an alternative Roblox game; Rainbow Friends story which has been matched to the intervention on style, length, and age appropriateness (omitting body image messaging) and an attention control whereby participants complete a series of word searches. To undertake the main trial, 1,4