Social Media, Negative Body Image, and Disordered Eating
People spent an average of over 3 hours a day on social media in 2020. Because people spend a significant portion of their day online, it is important to be aware of social media's adverse effects on mental health. Social media can lead to a negative body image, disordered eating behaviors, or even an eating disorder.
By: Elizabeth Low
Studies show that the more young people use social media to take, edit, and share photos of themselves online, the more likely they will be dissatisfied with their bodies, overvalue their appearance, or restrict their diet. Content on social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, and TikTok are all linked to poor self-esteem, negative body image, and, in some cases, disordered eating. Keep reading for three ways that social media may negatively impact your relationship with food and body image.
Social Media is a Highlight Reel
Social media highlights unrealistic and unattainable beauty standards. These images exist in the palm of our hands on social media pages. You do not even have to pick up a magazine to be confronted by these narrow beauty standards. When faced with so many edited versions of reality, it is natural to develop a poor body image. Additionally, many people edit their photos to reflect societal beauty standards. However, this is not an accurate representation of their true self. So what can you do to help your social media feed feel more realistic and anit-diet focused? Curate your feed. You don't have to follow accounts that make you feel bad about yourself. Follow people who inspire and motivate you (@balancedtx on Instagram is a great place to start!).
Social Media Often Encourages Comparison
Social media usage invites comparison. We see the highlight reels of our peers and celebrities living what seem to be perfect lives. Remember, you are not seeing the whole picture. You can never tell what someone is going through by looking at their social media profiles. Instead of comparing, find ways to be inspired or motivated by the people you follow, and take their posts with a grain of salt. And if self-compassion is getting the better of you, feel free to take a break from being online.
Social Media Perpetuates Diet Culture
Diets and extreme movement routines are often amplified on social media. Many videos detail what people eat and how they exercise in potentially disordered ways on both YouTube and TikTok. These videos can promote restrictive and punitive ways of eating and moving. Higher Instagram use is associated with a greater likelihood of having a disordered relationship with food and your body. Influencers with a large following often perpetuate diet culture by promoting different fad diets. Unfortunately, people assume that if they adhere to an influencer’s recommendations, they will achieve that aesthetic. This, however, is not the case. Even if we all ate and moved the same way, our bodies would still be completely unique. You are much better off tuning in to your body and learning to care for it than listening to what someone on social media is selling.
At the end of the day, remember to check in with yourself. If following certain people brings up negative emotions towards food or your body image or results in you comparing yourself to others, it may be helpful to consider unfollowing certain accounts. Fill your feed with content that builds you up and reminds you that you and your body are enough.
Need more support navigating social media’s triggers and more? BALANCE’s new Holiday Headstart 12-Day Intensive can guide you toward lasting recovery. Get tools to jumpstart your recovery, expert guidance from our experienced, compassionate team, actionable steps to build into your everyday routine to solidify your recovery, concentrated care to help you build resilience this holiday season, and more. Learn more about our limited-time Holiday Headstart 12-Day Intensive here.
We also have multiple free webinars to learn more about social media’s effect on body image. Watch our Fact Check Your Feed: Debunking Diet Misinformation and our Taking on Body Image: What Influences Body Image and How to Improve Your Own webinars on the BALANCE YouTube channel.
Read more about our philosophy here, or book a free consultation call with our admissions team to discuss the next steps here.
This post was written by BALANCE Blog Contributor, Elizabeth Low (she/her).
Elizabeth graduated from San Jose State University with a sociology degree concentrating in social interaction and a minor in psychology. She understands firsthand the difficulties of having an eating disorder and body image issues. In the future, she plans to pursue a career in dietetics. She would love to help individuals have a healthy relationship with food and their body image. She hopes to actively counteract social messaging linked to disordered eating, overexercise, and body dissatisfaction.