The effects of social media and body image

Social media is defined as any website or application that allows people to generate or post content (words, images or videos) while trying to increase their social networking. In today's society, social media is consumed and used by individuals more than any other application on their device. One can access social media on a smart phone, tablet or computer. People are communicating less in person and tend to do everything online, such as shopping, reading the news, sharing pictures, dating and gaming. In social media apps, one can comment, share photos, images and words, and "like" content. Additionally, there are places where one can get new information or blog about a certain topic. The generation born in the mid-1900's-mid-2000's or later are called "iGen," because they are the first generation to spend their entire adolescence in the age of the smartphone. While social media and internet use has advanced many positive things throughout society, it has also caused issues.

**Eating Disorders and Social Media Use**

Social media use has made a negative impact on body image, specifically with eating disorders. The definition of an eating disorder is "a presence of significant weight and shape concerns". With adolescents, there is a lifetime prevalence rate ranging from .5 to 23% for eating disorders . Younger adolescents are being exposed to images and videos which promote self-destructive behaviors. Social media advertises models with unattainable hair, clothes, makeup, body types, etc., possibly creating insecurity in consumers.

There are many social media apps that allow the user to have control over how they look. The apps can change skin, makeup, body weight and body appearance. Also, the social media apps allow people to be able to give positive or negative feedback behind a screen rather than in person . While there can be positive feedback, people may experience negative feedback which is considered "cyberbullying." Cyberbullying is using the internet as a means of communication to bully others by sending mean messages. 90% of teens indicated that they personally know a friend who have been cyberbullied on social media . This statistic shows cyberbullying is common. Research has indicated that receiving negative feedback on social media is associated with higher body image concerns.

Time spent on social media websites have also been a risk factor for developing an eating disorder. Research has shown that if one spends at least two hours a day on social media apps, one may be more likely to endorse feelings associated with depression, problems with self-control and eating disorders. Self-control issues can lead to an eating disorder by eating too much or consuming too little. Depression can also lead to an eating disorder by not liking how one looks, which results in excessive dieting and exercise. "Thinspiration" is when photos, videos and advertisements are intended to inspire a person to remain thin or to lose weight to become thin. Social media apps constantly show you different ways to lose weight and images of models that have unrealistic bodies. This causes some viewers to have unrealistic goals for their own bodies which may become harmful. Additionally, on social media, people are exposed to "fitspiration." This is a phenomenon in which photos, videos, advertisements are intended to inspire a person to get physically fit through rigorous exercise and diet, usually with the goal of attaining an ideal body. This may cause the individual to exercise excessively which could lead to an eating disorder.

44% of teens report that upon waking, they immediately check their phone to see if they have any messages. 57% of teens relate that they have tried many times to decrease time spent on social media. Results indicated that 56% of teens relate that they feel lonely and anxious when they do not have their phones by them. At the same time, girls are more likely to feel anxious and lonely without their cellphones than boys are. Teens are able to understand that they are spending to much time on social media but may have difficulty stopping: 41% of teens evaluated reported they spend too much time on social media, but still do it anyway.

Since social media is being used at a younger age than ever before, one must look at the differences between genders to see if it makes a difference. Many researchers have found that females are more likely to develop an eating disorder due to social media than males . It is believed this could be due to girls taking more pictures of themselves and posting them on social media. This creates more opportunity to compare themselves with others and receive negative feedback. Specifically, it was found that females who use Facebook and use editing features to change the way that they look had a higher drive for thinness, increased body image concerns and a higher level of eating disorder symptomology. It is also found that girls (47%) spend more time on social media then boys (35%) .

**The Effect of COVID-19 on Social Media Use and Body Image**

COVID-19 made people isolated in their homes and it created a lot of free time. People spent their time doing things on their phone instead of going out places. Therefore, social media use increased when the peak of COVID-19 lockdown occurred on March 14, 2020. Research indicated that there was an increase in frequency of social media as well as the number of women who followed appearance-focused Instagram accounts. This means that women followed more accounts that focus on the way that they look during COVID than any other time. These accounts consist of over-exercising plans, impossible body expectations and weight loss plans. This has caused women (14-24) to have body dissatisfaction and a higher drive for thinness. With the women aged 25-35, this caused an increase for drive for thinness. Instagram was the main social media site that was found to have these effects on women. This may be because this app allows you to post pictures and videos at all times.

Social media has been found to affect eating disorder behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three ways that social media has affected it are (a) specific exposure to harmful eating and appearance-related media, particularly on social media; (b) effects of general media consumption; and (c) the increased use of video-conferencing while working from home. Since people are spending more time on social media, they are being exposed to more body related images and videos. They are constantly watching workout videos, food tutorials, and seeing pictures of different people's bodies. This has caused many people to become focused on the way they eat, work out, and see themselves. Due to being in lockdown, the gyms were closed, and food became hard to get. It was found that both genders showed that as their daily screen time on social media increased during COVID the more likely that you have a greater internalization of thin body ideals, negative body image, poorer well-being and increased disordered eating.

Further Readings:

* https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fppm0000196
* https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0361684315581841?casa\_token=E7hKTf4nAmcAAAAA%3Ate0a9WGUxkIjOmpdXfLaHCJW6wWhIENbVy-0x80nnEta2t9uruKCZRI4sYZEkD1-DxWb\_go\_MfjkhA

* https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0272431618770809?casa\_token=BHVi\_f0o8-YAAAAA%3AC7FNBPrnwvUi\_sWtkZvKag0VKC9TthAAKR-Urqzpsbkkg\_B99LYTMcHRtoXH4ErMI2jxHs7AvLiCDw

1. ↑ Twenge, J. M. (2017). *Igen why today's super-connected kids are growing up less rebellious, more tolerant, less happy - and completely unprepared for adulthood: And what that means for the rest of Us*. Atria Paperback.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/eat.22094
3. ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321056188\_The\_Dual\_Value\_of\_the\_Web\_Risks\_and\_Benefits\_of\_the\_Use\_of\_the\_Internet\_in\_Disorders\_with\_A\_Self-Destructive\_Component\_in\_Adolescents\_and\_Young\_Adults
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Rodger, R. F., & Melioli, T. (2016). The relationship between body image concerns, eating          disorders and internet use, part 1: review of empirical support. *Adolescent Res Rev, 1*.
5. ↑ Ivezaj, V., Potenza, M. N., Grilo, C. M., White, M. A. (2017). An exploratory examination of at  risk/problematic internet use and disordered eating in adults. *Addictive Behaviors, 64*.
6. ↑ Quesnel, D. A., Cook, B., Murray, K., Zamudio, J. (2017). Inspiration or thinspiration: the           association among problematic internet use, exercise dependence, and eating disorder      risk. *International Journal Mental Health Addiction, 16*.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/08/22/how-teens-and-parents-navigate-screen-time-and-device-distractions/
8. ↑ Kim, J. W., & Chock, M. (2015). Associations between social grooming on Facebook and body   image concerns. *Computers in Human Behavior, 48*. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2015.01.009
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Saul, J., & Rodgers, R. F. (2018) Adolescent eating disorder risk and the online world*. Child       Adolescent Psychiatric Clinic*. doi: 10.1016/j.chc.2017.11.011
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S027858462100052X
11. ↑ https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/eat.23318
12. ↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666321003597?casa\_token=woiagfJhnFkAAAAA:IkKQp94xDqniHkKetzbab-mkacwuTdwM1Kx2-9kr0kpwy7l6n2LWm7jQOQKHNHpma9JoP54ilOc