Meta Description- According to 2019 research from Common Sense Media, teenagers spend an astounding 7 hours and 22 minutes on mobile devices, not including time spent online for academics.
Introduction
Tweens, ages 8 to 12, are right behind them, with an average daily screen time of four hours and forty-four minutes. This is a very scary fact. When these activities are taken into account, the totals rise to 9 hours, 49 minutes for music and 5 hours, 54 minutes for reading that isn't for school, which is a lot (such as an e-book). Our kids seem to be wasting money physically. Here's a closer look at how social media may make young people who have eating disorders do things that aren't right.
Five facts about media responsible for eating disorders
- Unrealistic views on one's physical appearance
Young women's aspirations are fueled by social media images of "Instagram models," athletes, and other famous people. There is no doubt that the photographs on social media are carefully crafted highlights reels, yet many teens believe that they are real.
- Allowing face-to-face encounters to take a back seat
Young women with eating disorders, particularly bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorders, are more likely to indulge in their disordered eating habits in private than those without such conditions. Eating disorders are often characterized by a sense of isolation and humiliation, which can be exacerbated by a lack of support from loved ones.
- Exclusionary thoughts and feelings
People who have recovered from eating disorders generally have a very narrow social circle and struggle with many elements of interpersonal relations. A strong correlation has been shown between effective eating disorder recovery and the social support one receives, and the frequency with which one engages in social activities.
- Cyberbullying
60% of those with an eating problem report they were bullied, according to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA). Bullies now have a platform to use their techniques well beyond the confines of the schoolyard, thanks to the rise of social media. Even though no studies have yet been published, researchers are now researching to establish that cyberbullying is more harmful than traditional bullying.
- It is simple to locate pro-ED groups.
Pro-ana and pro-mia websites have existed for as long as the internet exists, but social media provides them with a far larger audience. As a result of the denial of eating disorders as mental diseases, communities have formed to promote the destructive behaviors connected with them, calling them "lifestyle choices." Members exchange tales, images, and even advice.
What studies show?
Studies have shown the media to play a role in the emergence and maintenance of eating disorders. Educating people on the dangers of eating disorders should be a part of any effort to prevent or cure them.
A study of media and eating disorders among college students revealed that media exposure predicted disordered eating symptomatology, drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction, ineffectiveness in women, and endorsement of personal thinness and dieting in males (19).
Conclusion
Dieting, self-objectification, and body monitoring were all strongly associated with using social media regularly in a 2016 research. Interestingly, the study found no detrimental effects on body image from seeing one's social media profile, suggesting that the problem is more with the constant comparison that comes with perusing social media feeds.
References-
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2792687/
