Social Media's Influence on Disordered Eating

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This day and age it is easy to look around and see mostly everyone in sight glued to their phones. A good portion of the time people are spending on their phones is dedicated to browsing through social media platforms. Everyone has heard of at least one of the top social media sites including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, or Snapchat. Likewise everyone has also heard of at least one of the common disordered eating characteristics such as a negative body image or body dissatisfaction. Well what if we took a step back and thought that maybe all of those subliminal messages we are getting through our constant connection to social media may be influencing these types of disordered eating characteristics.

 Disordered eating is no longer limited to young females. There are many men and adults that experience body dysmorphia. Could this be due to our society being more connected to images and messages surrounding us of what the "perfect" body should look like? Social media platforms that are dedicated to visual sensations include Instagram, Snapchat, and Pinterest. With a quick search you can pull up what an "ideal" body should look like or some fad diet that promises the person that they will drop 5 pounds instantly.

Being constantly plugged into social media is affecting the way many people are viewing themselves. They strive to be the next "Instagram Star." They are also taking nutrition and exercise advice from people that may not be credentialed to give out that information. It is up to our society as a whole to take back social media and create more positive body images.

The Association between Social Media Use and Eating Concerns among US Young Adults
Sidani, Jaime E. et al.
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics , Volume 116 , Issue 9 , 1465 - 1472



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