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Writer's pictureJennie Membrino-Nano

The Negative Effects of Social Media on Eating Disorders and Body Image


Nowadays most of us don’t know many people without a smartphone. It has almost become an appendage for so many. We have access to pretty much any sort of information we want at the tip of our fingers at any time. For those struggling with body image, restrictive eating and/or eating disorders, social media can greatly influence us in a negative way.


Have you ever spiraled down the rabbit hole of social media? You are not alone. Time can fly by and as soon as you know it an hour or more has passed and you haven’t gotten anything done you were supposed to. Have you ever noticed how you feel after? There are good and bad aspects of social media and the key is understanding how to navigate through all of them.


The Negative Effects:

  • Depression

  • Increased anxiety

  • Feelings of being inadequate about self

  • Promotes disordered eating patterns to achieve certain fitness and appearance goals

  • Isolation, feelings of loneliness

  • Unrealistic expectations of how your body should look

Things To Do To Help:

  • Limit your daily time on social media

  • Avoid looking at your phone first thing in the morning and right before bed

  • Be mindful of what you watch and what accounts you follow

  • When posting selfies try not to edit out perceived flaws

  • Be mindful how you are feeling when on social media

  • Unfollow any toxic accounts

  • Follow positive content that shows that your body doesn’t define you


Social media apps such as Tik Tok, SnapChat, Instagram & Facebook, although can be fun and keep us in touch with people, can also cause a lot of damage to our mental and physical health. The key is finding the best balance that works in our day to day lives. A balance that keeps us on the road to recovery.



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