How attractive looks contribute to more risky behaviors among young people

A new study challenges the idea that good looks are the key to happiness. It turns out that attractiveness leads to riskier behaviour among young people. The more attractive a teenager is, the more likely they are to go out more often and drink more alcohol. According to Professor Colin Peter Green from the Department of Economics at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), this means that the risk of developing alcohol problems in the future increases.

Drink, sex and drugs

In the study "Beauty, Underage Drinking, and Adolescent Risk Behavior," Green and colleagues from Germany and the United Kingdom focused on underage drinking to examine how beauty might lead to risky behavior.

The researchers looked at six types of risky behavior: drinking alcohol, binge drinking, smoking, drug use, unprotected sex, and unwanted pregnancy. Most of these behaviors are risky enough on their own, but they can also cause problems later in life. For example, teenage pregnancy can negatively affect both education and income, and early drinking can lead to alcoholism.

Attractive and the ones who drink the most

There is a direct link between appearance and behavioral choices in teenagers. This applies to both sexes, but particularly attractive girls are more likely to drink and drink more than their less attractive friends.

Our key finding is that young people who are considered the most attractive are more likely to drink and engage in binge drinking, which involves multiple consecutive days of heavy drinking. The study shows that the risks they take and their futures are closely linked to their inner confidence and self-esteem.

Influence on life choices

Many studies confirm that good looks are an advantage. The most attractive people among us are more successful in the job market and receive higher salaries. In academia, physically attractive researchers are more often cited. Attractive professors get better grades, and good politicians are successful in elections.

Green and his colleagues took a slightly different approach:

We wanted to study how beauty influences important life choices in young people before they become adults. We hypothesized that appearance might influence risky behavior that has consequences later in life.

30,000 young people

This is the first study to examine the link between appearance and risky behavior. The data comes from the Add Health (Adolescent to Adult Health) study in the United States, the largest longitudinal study of young people.

The sample consists of more than 30,000 young people who completed four rounds of interviews from their teens to adulthood. They were asked how often and how much they had drunk in the past month, whether they had binge-drank, smoked tobacco or taken drugs. They were also asked about unprotected sex and pregnancy. The answers they gave to Add Health between the ages of 24 and 32 show whether they had developed problems with alcohol, for example.

Beautiful and smart

The mechanisms behind young people’s choices are complex. The most attractive young people are often popular and tend to frequent parties and places where alcohol is available. At the same time, they tend to have more self-esteem than their less attractive peers. This may protect them from excessive drinking and even more foolish behavior.

It also found that the most attractive young people engage in risky behavior that is considered "cool" but avoid behavior that is considered "uncool." Drinking is cool. Drug abuse and teen pregnancy are not.

Through the eyes of an observer

Interviewers rated informants' appearance on a scale from 1 (very unattractive) to 5 (very attractive), and most of the interviewers were women. What is considered beautiful is determined by the eye of the beholder, but the researchers carefully explain the scientific basis for this approach. They also explain how they measured popularity, self-esteem, and personality traits, and how these factors influence young people's actions.

Building self-esteem

Green stresses that it is important to understand what drives young people's choices in general.

A young man may look handsome and successful, but he may also be carrying emotional baggage that undermines his self-confidence, such as an unstable home life and mental health problems. This can be a dangerous combination.

In particular, the study concludes that developing confidence, self-esteem and self-worth from childhood is important for promoting youth health and preventing unhappy life paths.