Essay Example: The Impact of Social Media on Eating Disorders

97% of youths use social media…81% edit their photos… It takes 2 clicks to get to content that could have such a harmful influence, that it can physically change your appearance…

Good morning/ afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen.

Eating disorders are defined as a “serious mental health condition characterized by severe disturbances in eating behaviors and related thoughts and emotions”.

Through the promotion of negative content over social media and influence of editing of images, eating disorders arise; and it’s time to stop… and make a change.

How are we supposed to love our bodies when the posts circling around us.. are like sharks preparing to attack their prey? These posts are constantly comparing people’s bodies and forcing it down our throats that we need to change our appearance.

With such a high percentage of teenagers on various social media platforms, we are bound to be a witness, or a victim to negative content. SMVLC, stated that body image development starts early, with more than 80% of 10-year-olds being afraid of being “fat”. It’s time to stop.

It is crucial to make a change before our whole society is riddled with insecurity and worry about their appearance, which will lead to the severe consequence of an eating disorder.

Editing images creates unrealistic content about body image that can be viewed as the end goal, or ‘ideal’ physique. The result that these misleading representations have, is eating disorders, with long lasting impacts.

Some of us here have little sisters, aged 5-10, right? Well, 47% of girls, that are the same age as your sisters, say that pictures make them want to lose weight. Most of these pictures are edited, but these girls are oblivious to this, and yet are influenced to the point that they have the desire to physically change their appearance to match the figures in the images. It’s time to stop.

Due to the editing of images, eating disorders are created through the strategies used in the attempt to look similar to the unachievable content being produced, surrounding the topic of body image.

The influence that the promotion of negative content and the editing of images has, is lethal towards physical health, as eating disorders are the consequence.

It’s time to stop… and change.

Without this change, the rate of social medias impact on eating disorders will continue to increase. In order to make this advancement to a healthier society, we need to scrutinise the content being produced throughout various social media sites, and download software to the media platforms, that has the ability to detect negative and artificial content and remove it from our feeds.

And remember…Our body. Our choice. Our future.