What Reducing Your Social Media Use Can Do for Your Body Image

 By: Lucy Fisher

(Credit: Oziel Valdez)

Social media has become a large part of teens’ daily lives. Teens spend on average five hours per day using some type of social media. Being a teen is challenging and is a transitional time in development. Social media helps teens form new connections and relationships. It also helps them learn new things but too much social media use can have negative influences on teens. So, what does too much time spend on social media mean for teens growth and mental health.

Research shows that spending more than five hours a day on social media is linked to teens thoughts about suicide, self-harm, and feelings of sadness. Most if this time on social media is spent making comparisons about physical appearance. Teens feel like they are not thin or attractive enough and are worrying about needing to fit into beauty ideals. Excessive social media use is also linked to lower self-esteem and more fear of missing out in teens. These behaviors contribute to teens feeling worried and at risk for mental health issues. This data also shows that teens who spend four or more hours a day on social media doubles the risk of developing negative thoughts about their body image.

 To see if spending less time on social media makes a difference, researchers had two hundred students between the ages of 17-25 volunteer to be a part of a study. This study had the volunteers lower their social media use to one hour per day or continue to use social media as they normally would. The volunteers had feelings of worry and sadness before the study. They also answered questions about their body image and the way that they look before and after the study. This time on social media was tested for three weeks. The results of this study showed that lowering social media to one hour per day improved body image and weight concerns in participants. 

Social media is an important part of our lives. Teens are going to continue to use social media and technology despite the risks. This information shows teens that lowering their usage may improve feelings towards their physical appearance. Identifying the benefits and risks can help teens begin to change their social media behaviors. In turn, contributing to a more positive body image and overall well-being.