Overvaluation (of shape and weight) were found to manifest behaviorally within a social media environment through avoidance of posting selfies. Avoidance contributes to the maintenance of eating disorders because it prevents individuals from objectively assessing their appearance or collecting evidence to dispute beliefs about negative social evaluation from others. 

Boston University

Each of the social media behaviors (avoidance of posting selfies, photo investment, photo manipulation, and investment in others' selfies) was associated with greater likelihood of meeting 1 or more eating disorders. Night eating syndrome and clinical/subclinical bulimia nervosa were the only 2 where all of social media behaviors were associated with greater likelihood of diagnosis.

Social Media Behaviors and Association with Likelihood of Meeting Eating Disorders

Lonergan, Alexandra R, et al. “Protect Me from My Selfie: Examining the Association between Photo‐Based Social Media Behaviors and Self‐Reported Eating Disorders in Adolescence.” *The International Journal of Eating Disorders*, vol. 53, no. 5, 2020, pp. 485–496.

Protect me from my selfie: Examining the association between photo-based social media behaviors and self-reported eating disorders in adolescence

Overvaluation on Social Media and Eating Disorders

Photo investment and manipulation are related to eating concerns in adolescent girls, as well as bulimic symptomology and anorexia nervosa. The relationship between social media variables and body image concerns are consistent across male and females, including adolescents. Adolescent boys and girls who exert effort in choosing a selfie to post, editing them, and monitoring the comments/likes engage in pervasive appearance-based social media behaviors that meet criteria for an eating disorder. 



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