Do you think that Facebook could be harmful to self-confidence? Specialists say yes. It was found that young adults who spend more time on social networks struggle with the image they have of their body, implicitly with their self-confidence. Also, for the same reason, research specialists from the University of Pittsburgh warn us that young people are at risk of developing a serious eating disorder.
The findings were applied to young adults, regardless of sex, age, race or social class. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine surveyed 1.765 US adults between the ages of 19 and 32 using questionnaires about their use of social media networks.
They focused on the 11 most popular social media platforms: Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google Plus, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, Tumblr, Pinterest, Vine and LinkedIn.
They then compared the results of the questionnaire with a second one, which used risk assessment tools related to eating habits and eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating.
Those who reported more intensive use of social networking sites throughout the day were de 2,2 times more concerned the image of one's own body and various food concerns than those who were online less. And participants who checked their social media accounts more frequently during the week had the above concerns of 2,6 times bigger.
We've long known that exposure to traditional forms of media, such as fashion magazines and television, is associated with the development of disordered eating and body image concerns, likely due to the positive portrayal of 'thin' models and celebrities,' said lead author Jaime E. Sidani, PhD, MPH, assistant director of Pitt's Center for Research on Media, Technology, and Health.
Social media combines many of the visual aspects of traditional media with the opportunity for social media users to interact and propagate stereotypes that can lead to eating and body image concerns.
~ Jaime E. Sidani, Deputy Director of the Pitt Center for Media, Technology and Health Research.
Following these studies, several social media companies took a stand against content that they believed could contribute to eating disorders. For example, Instagram banned hashtags such as "thinspiration" and "thinspo".
