Social media has plenty of benefits. It’s a great way to stay connected with people you love and don’t get to see often. It allows you to stay up-to-date with family and friends. For teens, social media is a fantastic way to “follow” friends and be in the know about upcoming events.
But there are also plenty of downsides to social media. Everything from cyberbullying to comparison issues has seen a rise as social media has increased in popularity.
Another problem sometimes associated with social media is the rise in eating disorders. One study from 2020 found that young people who use social media are actually more likely to develop an eating disorder.
But what’s the connection? What does social media have to do with the rise in disordered eating?
The Age of Influencers
Social media is no longer just about connecting with friends and family. Many people make a living on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, working as influencers. Some of those influencers gain their fame by claiming to be experts in health, fitness, and/or nutrition. While some of them are legitimate and offer sound advice, others could be doing more harm than good.
Some influencers lead unrealistic lifestyles. They don’t practice realistic, healthy nutrition, and they encourage their followers to do the same. They might go so far as to do unhealthy things “behind the scenes” to make their bodies look perfect without telling their followers. Unfortunately, the goal of an influencer is to, of course, influence their fans. When they’re deceitful in what they’re doing, their followers might still try to be just like them, potentially harming their bodies with extreme diets or exhausting workouts in the process.
Comparison Issues
We touched briefly on comparison issues above, but it’s a big problem in the social media world. You might see a friend from high school looking thin and healthy and find yourself getting jealous. Or, you might think everyone in your family that you see online is “skinny,” and you want to look just like them.
When you compare yourself to others, it’s easy to become obsessed with beating them or being better somehow. It can take over your thoughts and make you obsessed with something like food or how you look.
It’s important to keep in mind that social media is nothing more than a highlight reel. You don’t know how many pictures someone had to take before finding one they liked to post. Very few people are going to post about the negative or hard things going on in their lives. Take what you see with a grain of salt, and try not to compare yourself to others.
Misinformation
There’s a lot of great, science-backed information on social media. But there’s also a lot of fake information. It’s important to discern fact from fiction, especially when it comes to statements about your health.
For example, don’t be quick to try an extreme diet, weight loss supplement, or exercise routine without looking at the science first. If you’re interested in those things, you’re probably already overthinking how you look. It could be easy for something like an extreme fad diet to take control and lead you down the path of an eating disorder.
If you’re already struggling with disordered eating or you’re having negative thoughts about your body, don’t wait to get the help you deserve. Eating disorders can do extreme damage to your physical and mental well-being. Reach out to us now to stop the problem before it spirals out of control in eating disorder therapy. The sooner you fight back against those thoughts, the easier it will be to have a healthy relationship with food and your body.
