Katharina Buczek
Nonetheless, three of the cross-sectional studies included in the analysis suggested that appearance-focused platforms– such as Snapchat and Instagram– are significantly linked to body image concerns, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and eating disorder pathology.
The relationship between social media use and body image dissatisfaction– which includes low self-esteem, body shame, and body-related anxiety– was also demonstrated in 33 of the studies.
Five of these studies then went so far as to suggest that body image dissatisfaction paves the way for eating disorder pathology.
Other appearance-related habits and activities– such as avoiding “selfies,” editing photos, and posting manipulated photos– were persistently linked with eating disorder pathology risk and body image dissatisfaction in 17 studies.
Strong associations between social media use and disordered eating habits– such as extreme dieting, binging, purging, and laxative use– were also observed in 11 studies.
Finally, five of the analyzed cross-section studies even connected the frequency of social media use to multiple clinical eating disorders.
The researchers also looked at hashtags to understand how they perpetuate eating disorder pathology risk. Eight studies specifically focused on the #fitspiration trend and found mixed results.
Approximately half of the hashtags supported the pathology relationship; meanwhile, 25% partially supported it, and the remaining 25% refuted it.
The analysis revealed that while some people who consumed #fitspiration content were inspired to partake in healthy exercise and eating habits, others experienced adverse consequences– such as pressure to excessively exercise with subsequent disordered eating outcomes.
Three other studies focused on a different hashtag, known as the #thinspiration trend– concluding that it encouraged starvation as a lifestyle choice rather than a severe symptom of mental illness.
In content using this hashtag, posts actually provided guidance for people to engage in harmful eating disorder behaviors. The posts also included guides and tips on how to conceal these habits from others.
