How Social Media Influences Eating Disorders

By Marisa Markowitz

It’s well known that most teenagers in the United States have smartphones. On these devices, they can connect through social media across an endless array of platforms meant to foster connection; they gain information in real time about what’s happening in the lives of their friends, families, and trending celebrities. The purpose of social media was to bring people together remotely. Unfortunately, there are problematic aspects that may not have been foreseen at the outset.

Through photos, which are often heavily edited and carefully selected to portray only the narrowest view into someone’s life, social media can distort reality. Filters, social media influencers, and people who simply want to flaunt their extravagant lifestyles have a platform to project countless images that do not reflect reality for most people, often not even representing the reality of the posters themselves. Instagram offers weight loss ads as well as information about cosmetic procedures, and a variety of influencers parade their exercise routines regularly. This may be problematic for vulnerable youth, as much of what they absorb heavily influences what they perceive to be society’s ideal: to look a certain way, to act a certain way, and to lead a lifestyle that focuses on appearances and “healthy” living.

Social media amplifies the pressure to look good because the images they see posted are curated, edited, and personalized. What’s more, teens see family, friends, and others they want to impress, and this immediate access to these influential figures is instant, constant, and always evolving. Before the advent of the smartphone, when most advertising was on billboards, TV, magazines, and other print outlets, teens didn’t have 24/7 access to influential images and ads. Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms are led by algorithms, and the technology companies use these algorithms to keep the viewers on the site for as long as possible. They also play on the unquenchable sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) that young people have, which makes them feel the need to return to using the apps, almost like a drug, to make sure they don’t miss anything. It makes sense that unhealthy social media use can lead to unhealthy self-image and a development of distorted eating patterns in an effort to mirror the ideal body type they’re made to believe they must achieve.

Eating Disorders in Young Adults
Eating disorders fall into two main categories: those focused on restricting food intake and those focused on eating too much and purging. Anorexia nervosa and avoidant restrictive food intake disorder occur when individuals perceive themselves to be overweight but are underweight. It involves restricting food, counting calories, and an intense fear of eating as well as the use of laxatives and diuretics to lose weight. On the opposite end are disorders characterized by eating excessive amounts, vomiting, and using diuretics—binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa. Both restrictive and binging/purging pose extreme health hazards and are linked to other mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.

In the United States, one in seven men and one in five women experiences an eating disorder by age 40, and in 95% of those cases, the disorder begins by age 25. Many kinds of eating disorders may affect children and teens, but the median age of onset for these disorders is 18 to 20 years old. It makes sense that young adults, particularly those with a predisposition for mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression, are especially vulnerable to obsessing over images, opinions, and lifestyle choices that reflect unrealistic and unhealthy lifestyles. While there is no proven direct correlation between social media use and eating disorders, there is a correlation between the amount of time spent on social media and the negative thoughts experienced, including self-objectification, concern about body image, body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, and self-esteem problems. Some common threads include the individuals’ relationship to one or multiple social media platforms and the desire to carefully and regularly take and post selfies as their main activity on social media. One study conducted a rigorous analysis of social media and found that the psychopathology of eating disorders was related to exposure to social media, time spent on social media, and interactions on social media sites. It suggested that gender and sociocultural contexts were factors determining who would be hit hardest by images, content, and communication. Constant exposure to the Western ideal of thin beauty during social media encounters posed an elevated risk that individuals will develop disordered eating patterns in response to social media use.

Safeguards in Place
Platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat recognize that certain content is not appropriate for all individuals. In 2019, Instagram instituted policies that would attempt to shield individuals under the age of 18 from posts about weight loss and cosmetic procedures. Snapchat created “Here for You” for young adults to talk about mental health concerns.

Mental health professionals can teach young adults how to use social media wisely by advising them to carefully select what they watch and reminding them that what they’re seeing are reels, not real life. Much of social media needs to be looked at through the lens of watching a TV show, not through the lens of a realistic depiction of everyday life.

Mental health professionals specialize in eating disorder treatment. Residential, inpatient, outpatient, and intensive outpatient programs employ therapists who can help individuals seeking treatment for an eating disorder. While social media may not cause eating disorders, it’s likely that being vulnerable at an early age and having access to social media plays a role in the development of disordered eating patterns. In a mental health setting, groups that focus on digital use offer group therapy or dialectical behavioral therapy to help clients understand the impulses and urges and to help combat the constantly need to open and view social media sites. There are digital detox programs that suggest unplugging from social media completely to become more in tune with nature and one's surroundings. Support is in place, and it is the responsibility of a mental health professional to gently, and with a nonjudgmental stance, understand the issues and create plans for their client.

— Marisa Markowitz, LMSW, CASAC-T, studies the relationship between technology and its adverse effects on mental health, particularly for vulnerable populations. She can be reached at Marisa@marisamarkowitz.com.