Social Media’s Shadow: Feeding Into Eating Disorders
Social media, in its essence, was born as a tool for connection. It was about sharing life, staying in touch with friends, and making new ones. But fast forward to today, and it’s not just about connecting anymore. It’s about projecting. And for many young people, it’s this projection that’s becoming a problem, especially when it comes to body image.
We’ve all seen them: those perfectly lit photos of influencers with flawless skin, toned bodies, and not a hair out of place. Now, while many of us know that these images are often edited or filtered, for the younger, more impressionable minds, the lines between reality and edited content blur. They start seeing these as standards, not exceptions.
An old saying goes, “Comparison is the thief of joy.”
This couldn’t be more relevant today. A study from the National Eating Disorders Association stated that the more time young individuals spend on social media platforms, the higher the risk of them suffering from eating disorders. The numbers are clear, but what’s behind them?
Jenny, a 16-year-old high schooler, opened up about her struggle. “Every time I scrolled through Instagram, it felt…
