Social media brings a lot to the table, especially regarding communication. The posting and sharing of pictures and videos — as well as the overconsumption of said media — are all enabled by platforms such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook. Many people share over-idealized versions of their life and themselves. Seeing these types of posts can affect those who consume such media — particularly people who suffer from insecurity and low self-esteem — in many ways. One of these ways include the result of eating disorders.
Most social media users start when they are still quite young; at the age when they are more susceptible to being influenced by pictures of idealized bodies. Seeing images of thin and “beautiful” bodies — the definition of the “beauty standard” that they’ve been conditioned to aim for — has the potential to control the way they see themselves forever. This is most common in girls who feel pressured to look a certain way. According to the National Eating Disorder Association, women between 18 and 25, who are users of Instagram, had increased body image issues. This is most noticeable in those who regularly view posts of fit women.
Eating disorders come in many shapes and forms; however, they are usually associated with extremely skinny bodies that are a result of anorexia nervosa. This eating disorder occurs when individuals restrict their food intake and experience difficulty in allowing themselves to eat. Those who suffer from anorexia may be constantly unhappy with the way they look, no matter how much weight they’ve lost. However, restricted food intake is not the only way eating disorders manifest themselves; they can also come in the form of binge-eating. This is called binge-eating disorder, where a person consumes large amounts of food; this may cause them to feel guilty or ashamed afterward, as though they cannot stop themselves from over-eating. Those who suffer from this are often overweight or obese.
According to a study conducted in Australia and New Zealand, 51.7% of girls who use social media between the ages of 13 and 14 exhibit irregular patterns of eating, such as skipping meals and strict exercise regimens. As for boys, 45% of them were likely to experience the same issues. Social media indirectly encourages an unhealthy way to seek validation, by way of likes and compliments from strangers on the internet. Those who get their source of worth from such methods may pressure themselves to maintain their body shape, or if they haven’t, further conform themselves to the beauty standard. Young girls and boys who don’t know any better are at risk of developing eating disorders from their incessant need to look good, because to them, the only way to feel any worth is from the amount of likes on their posts.
Algorithms on platforms such as Instagram and Tiktok, which caters to an individual's indicated interests and likes, do not help in terms of discouraging the intake of possibly unhealthy media. Someone could be motivated by pictures of “more beautiful” people to continue skipping meals or doing unhealthily vigorous exercises, and so with the constant exposure to it, they will see no wrong in their ways.
Constant dissatisfaction with one’s body can lead to harmful results. One article points out a statement in a research paper of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: “the widespread use of social media in young adults could increase body ( image ) dissatisfaction… rendering them more vulnerable to eating disorders.” This sums up the issue of social media and how it is capable of causing eating disorders.
There are many benefits to social media, and it is one of the most popular ways to connect with other people, or simply just to kill time. But it should be a priority for all social platform users to not be easily influenced by the “perfect” version of other peoples’ lives. Being aware and alert is the only way we can protect ourselves from succumbing to the unrealistic expectations set by unrealistic people.
