Girls and young women are often viewed by female peers as less socially and physically attractive and less competent in their ability to perform tasks, when they post revealing or sexy photos on social media sites, including Facebook, according to a new study. Oregon State University conducted the study.

The research was published in the journal “Psychology of Popular Media Culture” on July 14.

Study researcher Elizabeth Daniels, assistant professor of psychology who studies how media affects girls’ body image, said in a statement, “This is a clear indictment of sexy social media photos.” She continued, “There is so much pressure on teen girls and young women to portray themselves as sexy, but sharing those sexy photos online may have more negative consequences than positive.”

Daniels’ findings stem from her experiment involving a fake Facebook profile.

Daniels remarked that young females are in a “no-win” situation regarding their Facebook photos. For example, females posting sexy photos may receive negative reactions from the peers, while those who post photos that are not as sexy may not reap as many social rewards, including attention from males, Daniels notes.

“Social media is where the youth are,” Daniels explained. “We need to understand what they’re doing online and how that affects their self-concept and their self-esteem.”