A new study reveals that excessive screen time and social media use are linked to higher risks of eating disorder symptoms in adolescents. Experts call for more research and parental involvement to mitigate these risks.
In an age where digital screens and social media dominate daily life, a new study reveals troubling connections between excessive screen time, social media use and eating disorder symptoms in young adolescents.
The research, targeting youths aged 9-14, found that spending an inordinate amount of time online is strongly associated with a higher risk of developing eating disorder symptoms. These symptoms range from anxiety about weight gain and tying self-worth to weight, to binge eating and engaging in compensatory behaviors to prevent weight gain.
“Social media promotes constant comparisons to peers and exposure to unattainable body ideals,” senior author Jason M. Nagata, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, said in a news release. “This can contribute to dissatisfaction with one’s own body, reduced self-esteem and unhealthy attempts to control weight, all of which increase the risk of developing eating disorders and other mental health issues.”
The study finds that problematic social media and mobile phone use, characterized by a degree of dependency that disrupts daily life, is also linked to these symptoms. Excessive social media consumption exposes adolescents to body ideals and comparisons, potentially leading to impulsive behaviors and addictive tendencies associated with binge eating.
To combat these risks, Nagata encourages limiting screen time, especially content that promotes eating disorders and appearance comparisons. He also advises parents to engage actively in their children’s digital lives by creating Family Media Use Plans and maintaining open dialogues about screen use and disordered eating.
The significance of this study is amplified by the fact that eating disorders carry the highest mortality rate among psychiatric disorders. Utilizing data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study — a comprehensive, long-term study of youth brain development in the United States — the research includes information from 11,875 children aged 9-14. The participants reported their screen habits and any eating disorder symptoms.
“This study underscores the need for more research on the relationship between social media, problematic screen use and mental well-being in early adolescence,” co-author Kyle T. Ganson, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, said in the news release.
He stresses that future research should aim to pinpoint specific types of content that are most harmful.
Published in the journal Eating and Weight Disorders – Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, this research offers compelling evidence that managing screen time and social media exposure is vital for the mental health and well-being of young adolescents.