Orlando Counselor on Social Media Impact on Teens

Negative Impact Social Media has on Adolescents’ idea of beauty. 

For many years, the internet has been over-exposing young teens to society’s beauty standards. Today, women are expected to look skinny but not too skinny, have a flat stomach, small waist, and full hips. This causes young girls to link these “ideal” standards to beauty and success. Like many other social media platforms, Tiktok is another platform that shares these unrealistic body standards with young girls all over the world. Due to viral trends where girls show their side facial profile and show how symmetrical their face is, TikTok can take the cake for being one of the top social media platforms that share these unrealistic body standards which can lead to girls internalizing this unattainable ideal. 

Internalization of social media beauty standards can lead to young girls being dissatisfied with their body, where there is an inconsistency between their real body and their ideal body, and have exaggerated concerns involving their body and weight. According to NEDA, the National Eating Disorder Association,  studies have shown that incidences of anorexia have been continuing to increase over the last 50 years in only females ages 15 to 24. This increase can be due to risk factors such as perfectionism, body dissatisfaction, stigmatization of weight, appearance ideal internalization, and teasing or bullying one about their body. 

If you are concerned that your teen may be struggling with an eating disorder, here are some warning signs and symptoms, you can look for : 

Emotional/ Behavioral Symptoms:

• Weight loss, food, and dieting are primary concerns
• Preoccupation with calories, carbs, and/or exercise
• Refusing certain foods or food groups (e.g no sweets, no fast food, no carbohydrates)
• Skipping meals or restricting portions at mealtimes
• Concern with body size and body image
• Check appearance in the mirror frequently 
• Extreme Mood Swings

Physical Symptoms:

• Fluctuations in weight
• Gastrointestinal Complaints (e.g constipation, stomach cramps)
• Missing or Irregular Menstrual Cycles
• Dizziness

Thinness, dieting, and negative body image are shared with society and often are internalized from a young age. However, promoting a healthy relationship with food and your body is the first step to the prevention of eating disorders in your household. Below are some ways that you as a parent can promote and model positive body image to your children:

• Encourage having balanced meals with a variety of foods
• Avoid labeling certain food as “bad”  
• Avoid making negative comments about your body
• Tell your child that you love and accept them regardless of weight or how they look
• Equate self-worth with internal values (e.g kindness, wisdom, sense of humor)
• Encourage them to do physical activities that they enjoy 
• Talk to your child about social media and explain how photos are retouch to look “perfect”

If your loved one is struggling with an eating disorder, here are resources to help find support and treatment. 

TLC Counselors that handle Eating Disorders:

In Florida: Jamie Barrett

In Texas: Jada Jackson 

NEDA Helpline: 

Call or Text: (800) 931-2237

Call Hours: 

Monday – Thursday: 11am – 9pm ET

Friday: 11am – 5pm ET

Text Hours:

Monday – Thursday: 3pm – 6pm ET

Friday: 11am – 5pm ET

For more resources: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/help-support

References:

National Eating Disorder Association: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/risk-factors

 Written By: TLC Intern Emma Joseph