Engagement with photo-based social media (such as posting selfies Instagram) has been found to be associated with poor body image, a key factor in the development and maintenance of eating disorders. Appearance-related social media behaviors, such as taking selfies, are related to risk of eating disorders onset. This study investigates how different clinical groups (among 9 eating disorders) differ in social media behavior profiles and their treatment implications.

Correlation of Body Image to Social Media

Behaviors regarding body image broadly involve editing and posting selfies, as well as scrutinizing one's own selfies, responses to one's selfies, and others' selfies.

Boston University

The mental picture one forms of one’s body as a whole, including its physical characteristics (body percept) and one’s attitudes toward these characteristics (body concept).

Body Image

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

Photo-based Social Media Behaviors

A study looked at the possible problems that the pandemic restriction and lockdown might have on eating disorder.  The first concern was the increase to eating disorder psychopathology due to limitation and disruptions in individual’s daily routine and activities. The second concern is that the increased use of social media, which might include exposure of harmful eating, unrealistic beauty standards, and stressful world event, will lead to increased eating disorder psychopathology. The final concern is the possible increase in stress and orthorexia-based cognition which will lead to an increased risk of disordered eating behaviors.

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