Alarming new report shows just how toxic Instagram is to body image

A new report released last week revealed just how much content promoting eating disorders to women and teens lives on on Instagram. And unsurprisingly: there are far too many.

The data, from advocacy group SumOfUs, comes on the heels of an explosive Wall Street Journal series alleging the company is fully aware of the negative impact of its platform, including the toxic impact it a on adolescent girls.

And while eating disorder experts have long warned that Instagram may help fuel eating disorders, taken together, the new reports paint a picture of a problem that is spiraling out of control.

“Eating Disorders Experts Are Extremely Concerned About The Harmful Effects Of Social Media Not Only On People With Eating Disorders, But Also On Those With Eating Disorders, Mood Disorders and poor body image, ”psychologist Samantha DeCaro, director of clinical outreach and education for The Renfrew Center, a residential treatment center for eating disorders, told HuffPost.

“While these platforms can be used as a tool to develop and nurture relationships, they can also be used to objectify themselves, compare themselves to their peers, motivate harmful behaviors, and seek external validation by the number of likes. , views and comments. ” she said.

The new SumOfUs report looked at a sample of 720 Instagram posts, 240 of which were related to eating disorders. The report also reviewed articles on plastic surgery and skin whitening.

Researchers found that 87.6% of eating disorder messages encouraged unapproved appetite suppressants, while nearly 53% directly promoted eating disorders.

They included a few examples of harmful posts, including ones that directly encourage extreme diets (like a daily meal plan that has well under 200 calories per day), as well as photos of teenage girls with captions full of negative autosuggestions. .

But there are millions of posts shared with eating disorder-related hashtags that Facebook (which owns Instagram) does little to combat, according to the report.

“While Instagram takes steps to remove the most obvious hashtags that promote eating disorders, Instagram users can easily work around this problem by using creative hashtags … to evade attempts to remove their content.” , write the researchers.

And mental health experts warn that even content that doesn’t sound blatantly toxic can be deeply damaging to teens. For example, when Instagram influencers post videos about what they eat that day, many teens follow their advice closely even if the poster isn’t a nutrition expert or health professional – and they learn to ignore their own preferences and hunger cues, DeCaro said.

“There is also research that suggests that just editing and posting a photo can potentially increase anxiety, weight issues, and cravings to restrain,” she added.

It’s unclear to what extent Facebook or Congress will make changes to better protect tweens and teens from the impact of social media on mental health and body image. Facebook has previously rebuffed claims that its platforms are harmful to teens, saying research linking declining adolescent mental health to social media is inconclusive.

Still, company executives have gathered for emergency meetings in recent weeks, The New York Times reported. The company recently shelved plans for Instagram Kids, a service aimed at tweens, at least for now.

But for now, much of the burden of mitigating Instagram’s toxic impact on teen mental health falls entirely on parents and children themselves.

“When I read the report, I continued to be shocked and upset … but that’s nothing new,” said Jillian Lampert, director of strategy for the Emily Program, a program for treating disorders of the food. “We know that social media, and in particular images, have a huge impact on the people who view them. Particularly young and developing brains.

Parents can start by simply knowing what accounts the children have – including “finstas” – and following them, Lampert urged. Talk directly to teens about what they see, what they post, and what they think. (She noted that she was a mother of teens herself and was unaware that her children had other Instagram accounts for a year.)

In addition, it may be helpful to set clear limits on the use of their devices.

“Do they have their phones in their rooms all night?” Is WiFi on all the time? Said Lampert. “We know it’s enticing! We know kids won’t just put their phones down and say, “Um, I probably shouldn’t do this anymore. It’s not good for my developing brain.

Because at the end of the day, while Instagram can be a toxic environment for tweens, teens, and young adults, social media is an important part of connecting and socializing for them – and can be a way. powerful for them to connect with reputable therapists and treatment centers, for example. , DeCaro said.

“Social media can also be a way for younger people to seek out and follow creators of diverse body types, abilities, genders, races, ethnicities and sexualities to help challenge the toxic narratives that the beauty and food industries impose on us, ”she added.

The challenge is to help teens harness these potential benefits while avoiding content that promotes destructive behavior – and that can’t be done by parents alone. Advocacy groups like Fairplay are working to make the internet safer for young people and have taken a very public stand against Instagram for Children with experts in child development.

The company itself must also take action. Earlier this year, Instagram tested hiding “likes” as a way to help promote better mental health when using the app. Some have suggested that other changes to the app – like calling up photos that have been cosmetically altered – might make a difference as well.

It is up to everyone to take this problem seriously. Reminding tweens and teens that social media doesn’t reflect reality, and setting limits can help, too.