This post was written by Jennifer Barney, psychology resident, outpatient therapist, Eating Disorder Program, Parkview Behavioral Health Institute.
Scrolling through social media has become a common pastime for people of all ages. In the United States, over 72% of the total population reported having at least one social media account, and the majority reported having active accounts on more than one platform. And whether it’s time spent creating content and sharing ideas, staying in touch with family and friends, or simply to be entertained by the latest viral trend, many of us spend two or more hours a day engaging with social media content.
The upside of social media
The increased use and access to social media certainly comes with potential benefits. For example, it’s now easier than ever to connect people and groups with diverse backgrounds, increasing our knowledge, understanding and awareness of different communities. Many people now also use social media to network and build relationships with individuals possessing a broad range of skills and knowledge, increasing opportunities for innovative new work directions.
The downside of social media
Although these benefits exist, frequent social media use also poses several risks to an individual’s mental health depending on how and when it’s used. These risks are especially notable when it comes to body image and disordered eating. Research consistently finds that higher levels of engagement with/exposure to image-related social media content are associated with higher levels of body image dissatisfaction and unhealthy eating behaviors. Understanding how social media can negatively impact an individual’s relationship with food and body image can be a helpful starting point to ensure you or your family members avoid using social media in harmful ways.
Unrealistic, filtered body image ideals
Most forms of media throughout the U.S. today are flooded with images and messages about what body types are considered “ideal” or most attractive. Social media platforms are no different, and often even include built in filters to help “polish or perfect” one’s appearance in photos to make them look more like these ideals. Just the inclusion of these filters can increase an individual's shame and discomfort with their natural appearance, and consistently viewing filtered images can lead to a false perception of what one’s body or lifestyle can or “should” look like.
Increased comparison and focus on appearance
Continuous exposure to the pictures and commentary on different social media sites can quickly lead one to compare their own body or lifestyle choices to what they see depicted on the profiles they follow. The high likelihood that most of these photos have been highly edited, filtered or posed to generate a false view of “perfection” does not appear to stop the human mind from comparing, which can have a negative impact on one’s self-esteem and body image. The high rate of taking and posting images of oneself on social media has also increased the rate people are viewing images of themselves in recent years. Research suggests that frequently taking and posting “selfies” is associated with decreased mood and increased anxiety, and that these negative impacts to one’s mental health remain even when the ability to edit or filter the picture is removed or when tracking the number of “likes” a post receives is absent.
Cyberbullying and external body-related commentary
Social media use also increases the risk of exposure to potentially harmful commentary about bodies or food/exercise choices. A core component of most social media use is the ability to “like” or “comment” on another person’s posts, providing an open door for others to comment on an individual’s appearance. Rates of cyberbullying—the use of electronic communication to bully or threaten another person—have increased alongside the use of social media, with one common form of such bullying being through “body shaming” (i.e., making critical or negative comments about the size, shape, or general appearance of someone else’s body).
Unfortunately, even comments that have the intention of being complementary, have just as much potential to perpetuate harmful ideals when reinforcing the “attractiveness” of an airbrushed or filtered image or when the message is steeped in diet-culture based ideology. For example, commenting that someone looks great and asking if they’ve lost weight can reinforce the idea that thinness equates to attractiveness, and may increase that individuals' self-consciousness related to changes in their weight moving forward.
Harmful social media trends
Although creating community and connection can often be a benefit of social media, the health and ideology of the underlying connections and content promoted within these communities can have detrimental impacts. Common trends such as “fitspiration” or posting before and after pictures related to weight loss are supposedly intended to inspire individuals to become more active and “healthy” in their day-to-day life. However, research suggests that frequent exposure to this content actually has the reverse effect, leading to increased negative comparison behaviors such as those described above and lower self-esteem, especially among teens and young adults.
Another significant concern exists among “alternative” online communities that promote unhealthy, disordered eating and weight related behaviors as something to aspire to. Like other online networks, these communities are often made up of individuals seeking understanding and connection, but as a whole are struggling with their own mental and physical well-being and build relationships on this foundation. These communities expose individuals who are already at heightened risk to harmful images and commentary about food and body image ideals that perpetuate their internal struggle and can have substantial negative consequences.
Using social media mindfully
Being aware of these potential risks in the online world is just one step in making sure that you and your loved ones are using social media in helpful rather than harmful ways. Here are some additional steps you can take to decrease the impact of social media on your body image and mental health.
- Be intentional about the content your viewing. Pay attention to how you feel when viewing posts from different people or groups you follow. Curate your social media to emphasize those individuals whose posts make you feel inspired or lift you up in some way. Unfollow accounts you find yourself constantly comparing your own body or lifestyle with, or whose content promotes unhealthy ideals and/or negatively impacts your self-esteem.
- Ditch the filters. Challenge the need to filter your own experiences and images before sharing them with the world. Give yourself permission to post the photos, videos or written content you choose because they matter to you. Hyper-focusing on the perceived flaws and need to filter your appearance only serves to objectify yourself and others, reinforce unrealistic beauty standards, and distract from the truly meaningful content of your intended post.
- Limit use and develop hobbies offline that increase your self-confidence. Try to limit the time you’re spending on social media, especially if you notice you’re often making negative comparisons about yourself, or you feel worse after scrolling. Consider using that time and energy to engage in activities on your own or with others that build upon your current interests, help you develop a new skill, and/or positively contribute to your mental health in some way.
- Be more than a body, see more than a body. Consider broadening your social media presence to represent the whole of you and/or ideas and content that matters. Refrain from making comments about physical appearance–yours or others–even those that may be intended as compliments. Practice attending to qualities of a person/post beyond what their body looks like—the parts about someone that actually matter!
If you find that you or a loved one is struggling with disordered eating as a result of weight stigma, we can help. At Parkview Behavioral Health Institute, we specialize in IOP group therapy and outpatient levels of care. Our eating disorder program utilizes an interdisciplinary treatment approach, collaborating with dietitians, medical providers, psychiatrists and skills coaches at all levels of care. To get started, patients can call 260-481-2700 and request an assessment to begin eating disorder treatment. A physician referral is not needed for any of our programs, but IOP requires prior authorization from insurance, which is handled by Parkview’s team.
