If your teenager is playing with a new phone or smart device after the holidays, you may have some worries. But can you have enough attention to how more screen time can affect the risk of a child to have a dietary disorder?
Research has suggested a link between the use of screen time and social networks and the risk of developing a food disorder.
A September 2024 study showed that every additional time of screen time and social media use was associated with greater chances of presenting symptoms of food disorder. In addition, adolescents who spend more time online are more likely to suffer cyberbullying, Another risk factor for a food disorder, according to a 2023 study.
Binge-Watching and Binge-Scrolling (excessive scroll) They can also influence compulsion food, said Jason Nagata, a associate professor of pediatrics at the University of California, in San Francisco. His study of 2021 found that every additional time of social media use was related to a risk 62% higher of developing compulsion food disorder a year later.
The connection between the risk of eating disorders and the use of social media is multifaceted, and the way they protect themselves and children can take different forms, experts say.
Are social media so bad?
Why can there be such a strong connection between social networks and eating disorders? There are many factors, including comparisons, unattainable body ideals and intensification of impulsive behaviors, said Nagata.
“With social media, one of the things we know is that it gives greater and more immediate access to adolescents around different ideas. This is good and bad, ”said Erin Birely, a licensed professional counselor and service coordinator for alumni of Renfrew Center, a dietary disorder treatment center with various places on the east coast.
Social media make it easier to enter communities, but some may include people who don’t have healthy ideas about food and body image, Birely added. They can share dangerous behaviors, which can influence what you start to see as normal.
“Social media can definitely increase the frequency with which children look at images that have been edited or placed in a certain way, which continue to perpetuate this kind of ideal of thinness or body image ideals that are not very useful,” she added .
In addition to the potentially harmful images that are being released, many influencers are paid to promote products that encourage weight loss, said Jennifer Rollin, founder of the Eating Disorder Center in Rockville, Maryland.
There is an awareness that advertisements in magazines can make people feel bad with their appearance, making them buy a product hoping to make a change, but these tactics are harder to recognize on social media, she added.
The problem is not only what teenagers see, but also their understanding that others can see them-whether they are bullied or being praised, said Nagata.
“This feedback can lead to a vicious cycle and additional pressures to portray a particular mark,” he said. “Teenagers can spend a lot of time thinking or planning posts on social media, which can lead to anxiety and stress.”
Problematic content can be difficult to detect
Some of the problem contents are obvious – exercises to “tune” your waist or dietary advice – but, due to the way food culture has become normalized, some of the most impactful contents may go completely unnoticed, Rollin said.
“The most dangerous is really the normalization of incredibly disordered behaviors … normalize this focus on weight loss and obsession with body image,” he added.
Even a social network feed with people who are not trying to make others lose weight but highlight a body type, may not help prevent eating disorders, Rollin said.
If you or your teenage child have feeds that do not show a diversity of body types or a variety of content that may have nothing to do with image (such as hobbies, travel or experiments), it can be easy to be very obsessed with bodies.
In truth, adding accounts with diversity of bodies and experiences to a social media feed can be a protection against eating disorders, said Rollin.
Is it time to exclude apps?
Social media are not the only cause of eating disorders, and forbidding them is not always necessary, Birely said.
For adolescents, postponing access as much as possible can help, and it is important to be aware of how individuals use the application and how they feel when they do it to decide if it is better to take a break, stop following certain accounts or exclude applications completely , said Rollin.
But there are also support networks and other social media benefits, Birely added.
“Sometimes it can be a good way to really help (teenagers) learn how to tolerate and manage these risks,” said the professional. “How do we tolerate the emotions that come up when we see (triggering content)?”
As much as a family limit social media, it is important to keep open conversations between adults, adolescents or younger children about what they see on these platforms and how it can make them feel, Nagata said.
Try to avoid using screens during meals to encourage conversation and keep an eye on children’s eating habits.
“Warning signs for dietary disorders include when an individual becomes worried or obsessed with weight, appearance, body size, food or exercise in a way that worsens their quality of life and daily functioning,” said Nagata. “They can move away from usual activities or friends because of body size worries and appearance.”
The appearance of a person alone cannot necessarily indicate a food disorder, and people of all genres, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, ages and sizes can be affected, he added.
If you think you or your teenage child may be suffering from eating disorder or anxieties harmful to food, you should seek professional help from a healthcare professional or therapist, Nagata says.
“Eating disorders are better attended by an interdisciplinary team, including a mental, doctor and nutritional health professional,” he concluded.
This content was originally published in how social networks can influence eating habits on the CNN Brazil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
I am an experienced journalist and writer with a career in the news industry. My focus is on covering Top News stories for World Stock Market, where I provide comprehensive analysis and commentary on markets around the world. I have expertise in writing both long-form articles and shorter pieces that deliver timely, relevant updates to readers.
