Eating Disorders: The Negative Impact Of Social Media

Various studies have demonstrated that when women are shown both photographs or TV commercials with extremely slender models they indicate an increase in dissatisfaction with their body (Crouch & Degelman, 1998). A study regarding social media specifically, was conducted by researchers at the University of Haifa on 248 girls ages 12 to 19; they found that the more time girls spent looking at pictures on Facebook, the more they suffered from eating disorders such as Anorexia, as well as other conditions including a heightened urge to diet and lose weight (University of Haifa, 2011). Media access is

Media exposure creates an ideal body image that is not easily maintained by most adolescents and causes adolescents to be dissatisfied with their bodies and leads to unhealthy diet habits and other more sever eating disorders.

Social media creates an ideal body image in an adolescent’s mind that affects them in various ways. Having an ideal body image can lower self-esteem in some adolescents’ creating eating disorders, and this idea of getting plastic surgery as they get older. Social media is steadily increasing and has heavily influenced adolescent’s to be more aware of their body figure. As a result, many adolescent’s have developed low self-esteem due to the fact that social media continues promoting fit women and creating the idea that women need to be thin to be loved or accepted by society; this can cause harm to adolescent’s because they feel the need to fit in to society.

As many as 10 million woman and girls suffer from anorexia or bulimia in the United States (Steele). Anorexia and bulimia are very serious eating disorders. Many women and young girls feel that these disorders are the only way for them to be accepted by others. However the strive for acceptance only ends up causing pain, emotional harm, or death to those affected. Being a sufferer of anorexia, I know the emotional and physical damage this disease can cause. The root cause of having an eating disorder is still undetermined, yet some doctors and physiologist believe the new focus on a perfect body, shown by the media is to blame. Society’s portrayal and promotion of a thin body image as the ideal female body contributes to eating

“The attention-grabbing pictures of various high-flying supermodels and actors on different magazine covers and advertisements go a long way in influencing our choices” (Bagley). The media is highly affective to everyone, although they promote an improper image of living. Research proved says those with low self-esteem are most influenced by media. Media is not the only culprit behind eating disorders. However, that does not mean that they have no part in eating disorders. Media is omnipresent and challenging it can halt the constant pressure on people to be perfect (Bagley). Socio-cultural influences, like the false images of thin women have been researched to distort eating and cause un-satisfaction of an individual’s body. However, it

For example, people have to be thin to be successful and attractive. The body weight of models sends powerful messages that all women should look that way, even though it is impossible. The messages are not going to stop until people put an end to them. One of the articles mentions that, “The mortality rate associated with anorexia nervosa is 12 times higher than the death rate associated with all causes of death for females 15-24 years old” (ANAD). The media and eating disorders are closely related. The issue is something that can be solved by the society as a whole. “The media perpetuates the feeling in people who do not have the ideal shape that their life would be fine if they were slim” (Jade). This days, it is common to find people who are successful to be thin in size. For people to achieve and have the ideal shape, they barely have to eat. People only have two options; either to not eat or to exercise every day to keep the ideal

Social media plays an immense role in the way that stereotypes about attractiveness is conveyed in regards to body image. As Gerbner and Gross wrote in 1976, the cultivation theory states that high frequency viewers of television are more susceptible to media messages and the belief that they are real and valid. The subjection to social media can cause an idealistic view amongst young girls and women alike. Among the mechanisms of human agency none is more central or pervasive than beliefs of personal efficacy (Bandura, 1997). This belief that these body types are achievable can lead to females being dissatisfied within their own skin. The result of the discontent can potentially lead to eating disorders. Body dissatisfaction occurs when views of the body are negative and involves a perceived discrepancy between a person 's assessment of their actual and ideal body (Cash and Szymanski, 1995 and Grogan, 2008). It is estimated that approximately 50% of adolescent girls report being unhappy with their bodies (Bearman, Presnell, & Martinez, 2006). Surveys have revealed that the exposure to social media can cause body dissatisfaction, eating disorder symptoms’ and the concept that thin is “beautiful” amongst young girls and women (Botta 1999; Harrison and Hefner 2006; and Stice et al. 1994). With media influence, the question is the strength of the effect, studies indicate the effects are small in scale; they are likely to operate in accordance with particular differences in

Most people have been exposed to social media at some point in their lives and although it may seem harmless it can play a major role on how people perceive themselves. Dieting and maintaining a well balanced lifestyle is healthy, but that can all change when the media gets involved. The media's impact on body image is mainly negative because people tend to abuse what information they are given and turn it into an unhealthy lifestyle. The media has a major impact on how people perceive themselves it can affect your mental stability, lower self-esteem, and contribute to unhealthy habits.

The portrayal of body image in media are unrealistic and are photoshopped. Many young adolescences are unaware of this. The purpose of this paper is to answer the question: does false portrayal of body image lead to the development of eating disorder? In this paper we will explore how eating disorder develops, and how we can prevent eating disorders, and the potential treatment of eating disorder. In the article, Relation of media exposure of to eating disorder symptomatology an examination of mediating mechanisms, the author emphasizes the consequences of beauty standards of thinness results in lower self-esteem and decreased weight satisfaction in adolescence. Research articles that supports the notion of media influence of eating disorders were

The media’s influence on the development and preservation of eating disorders has dramatically increased in the past decade. This is due to the influx of social media users who are influenced by the thin ideals of others. Social media delivers numerous influencing messages to females “regarding attractiveness, ideal body and shape, self-control, desire, food and weight management” (Munsch, 2014). Frequently, the unhealthy and unnatural body shapes that are shown by the media are often sought out by young women. These unattainable body shapes are easily accesses by simply getting on social media and other various forms of media. A new trend that has exploded on the internet is pro eating disorder websites. These websites usually “involve individuals

We all know it. The media have a powerful influence on how society thinks. And our teenagers’ perception of their own body image is one example. There are studies that show how the media and their focus on the ideal body image affect the tendency of the teenagers to succumb to depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. The media portray models that exude the ideal physique and when people are exposed to them, there might be an effect on how they perceive their body image that could lead them to have eating disorders in their hopes of having a perfect body. They may become dissatisfied with their bodies. And if they do not achieve that kind of perfect body, they might feel the

Social media negatively influences people with eating disorders by allowing them to search for groups that think their disorder is not a problem, this is detrimental to their health. Sidani et. Al. wrote in their article, The Association between Social Media Use and Eating Concerns among U.S. Young Adults that, “Individuals report seeking out these communities as a potential antidote to self-reported loneliness and social isolation. However, using these groups for social support may be problematic, as studies suggest that these groups may lead to development of shared social identity that inhibits authentic and meaningful recovery from an eating disorder” (Sidani et. Al.). In other words, Sidani et. Al. are saying that those individuals that

The media has an effect on people because it only focuses on one's body shape. According to ABC News the gross income of the dieting business is approximately 20 billion dollars. The money is obtained through: dieting books, weight loss supplements, and incisions to remove excessive weight to other parts of the body. ( ABC News staff, 2012).People see celebrities promoting these advertisement giving off the illusion that if they drink or take these supplements then they will be thinner. That helps promote off eating disorders such as anorexia because it shames a person of their bodies because physical attraction plays an important part in today’s media. So when women and young girls see these dieting advertisement it impacts their views

Mass media, especially social media and the internet, exposes people to ideas and information and is a powerful vehicle that can be used both positively and negatively. Its role cannot be underestimated in the influence of current societal attitudes towards eating, body image paradigms and self-esteem.

Social media is one way to see people views on what the "ideal" body image and it also one of the quickest ways to kills someone's self esteem. People post their pictures on the internet and anyone can view it and is free to make comments as they please. Social media sites like Instagram have made "Likes" and "Comment" a superficial thing in people's minds. If a male or female see that they are not getting the same attention as another on social media because of their body image this could result in a eating disorder depending on the individual. In the article from the daily beast by Emily Shire, she mentions that, "Facebook, Instagram, and other social media technology may be inadvertently worsening the struggles of those suffering from eating