Social media affords more frequent and immediate peer interactions, with individuals being able to connect with others and share information with the touch of a button.
Digital platforms such as Instagram and TikTok have grown in popularity in recent years, increasing the rate at which people interact with social media daily. However, with this increased use comes the increased risk of social comparison, which can have devastating impacts on a person’s body image and self-esteem.
Social comparison refers to the tendency to use other people as sources of information to then determine how you are doing relative to others. In short, in comparing yourself to other people, others directly influence how you should behave, what you should think, what you should feel, and most importantly, what you should look like. Social comparison is ubiquitous across cultures and is a core feature of human social evolution. Social comparisons are more likely to be made when the comparison dimension is relevant to the self and when the comparison target is similar to the self.
So, how exactly does social media come into play? Well, when you look at the post of your friend, or those people doing those TikTok dances, you are likely to compare your appearance to that which you are seeing. At the same time, the people sharing these posts often engage in selective self-presentation on social media (i.e., they purposely only post the images/content that portray themselves in the best possible light), meaning that many of us are comparing ourselves to something that even the person posting it can’t even achieve on a regular basis – but many of us fail to remember that. Instead, what tends to happen is a vicious cycle of self-hatred in which we doubt our appearance, abilities, or accomplishments.
Higher levels of online social comparisons are associated with a heightened risk for disordered eating and significant body image concerns. “Thinspiration” content, a phenomenon claiming extreme food restriction to be a valid and ideal lifestyle choice, is widespread across various social media platforms. Even for individuals with low body dissatisfaction, this content can be off-putting, or could influence thoughts regarding exercise and dietary choices.
But think about what it could be like for a person with an eating disorder – especially one seeking active treatment for their life-threatening illness. Imagine – you’ve just done so much incredible, important work to renourish your body and get yourself out of the medical “danger zone”, only to have your social media flooded with content like “what I eat in a day”, suggested workouts, weight loss transformations, or carefully picked images that have a person’s body looking as good as it possibly can. “Thinspiration” directly undermines all the hard work that is built up through eating disorder treatment, as this content feeds into the eating disorder mindset that many work so hard to escape.
If you’re someone with an eating disorder, whether or not you are getting treatment at this time, just know that you are not alone. Social media, while useful in many ways, is an illusion. That person doesn’t actually look like that. You don’t need to change yourself to fit in with what you see.
“Thinspiration” is a lie – restriction is never the answer and will only leave you miserable. You have so much more to offer than what you look like. Alternatively, if you’re someone who is looking after someone with an eating disorder, or you’re a concerned friend, be mindful of what you post. Please do your best to remind your loved one that they are enough, just the way that they are.
Little by little, let’s rebuild our relationship with our bodies and use social media as a tool to celebrate our differences, not to induce suffering.