Will Social Media Cause Eating Disorders Among Teenagers?

Social media has become a significant part of our everyday life now. Children, teenagers, adults, and grownups are all using social media today. Almost everyone is on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Social Media. Hence, it has become nearly impossible to escape the influence of social media. Every time you open Instagram, there is a new influencer flaunting her perfect body. Such posts that promote perfect body images can cause a lot of anxiety and stress, especially among kids. This leads to insecurities and eating disorder caused by social media. Therefore, parents should keep a keen eye on kids so they can detect early signs of eating disorders among teens.

What Are The Early Signs Of Eating Disorders?

The early signs of an eating order can be detected by emotional, behavioral and physical cues. Here are three early signs of an eating disorder that parents can detect in their children:

• Weakness

If your kid gets dizzy or faint especially while standing up then there is a good chance that your kid is not eating properly. This is because due to lack of proper nutrition and low blood sugar levels, the muscles get a week.

• Purging Behavior

If you notice your kid frequently going to the bathroom after every meal and there are signs and/or smells of vomiting then this is a purging behavior to resist eating. Make sure your kid is not using any diuretics or laxatives to over boost the metabolism.

• Obsession with Body Image

A very evident but often ignored sign of bad eating habits among teens is an extreme obsession with body image. If your kid is taking too much pressure and showing extreme concern with body shape and size then you must talk to them. Such unhealthy obsessions lead to insecurities and bad eating habits.

Will Social Media Cause Eating Disorders Among Teenagers?

Social media has the power to influence the masses. Teenagers are innocent and gullible hence they are easily manipulated and affected. With the rise of healthy living and unhealthy concerns with a perfectly sculpted body, teenagers today are doing what they can to stay fit. While being fit and healthy is great, extreme obsession is not. Here are some examples of eating disorders caused by social media:

• Binge Eating

Many kids are cyberbullied on social media which causes feelings of self-loathing, rejection, anxiety and depression among kids. One common way of dealing with such feelings is binge eating. Kids overeat and crave high-calorie foods all the time which results in excessive weight gain.

• Anorexia

This is a very common type of eating disorder in which adolescents and young adults. It is more common among girls as compared to boys. Anorexia is caused when you constantly feel overweight even when you are not. A great cause of this disorder is an obsession over body image. Hence, kids with this eating disorder eat less than their daily calorie requirements which causes weakness, anemia, low blood sugar levels, and other problems.

• Night Eating Syndrome

Kids these days stay up all night for gaming, chatting and Netflix. This usually results in late-night eating and develops a night eating syndrome. Hence, individuals with this type of syndrome eat excessively and end up overweight.

What Can Parents Do To Prevent Their Kids From Developing Eating Disorders?

Eating disorders are becoming very common among teenagers. As parents, you should monitor your kid's habits and routine to prevent the influence of social media and eating disorders among them. Here are some simple methods to ensure your kids don’t develop an eating disorder:

1. Educate Your Kids

Constantly educate your kids on the fake-ness of social media. In case you detect early signs of concerned body image, talk to your kids and educate them about a balanced diet. Tell them about the negative effects of social media. Make them feel confident in their own skin.

1. Become a Good Example

It’s okay to eat processed snacks once in a while but it is important to eat vegetables and fruits too. Adopt healthy eating habits and exercise. Incorporate physical exertion and a balanced diet in your life and set an example for your kids. Remember: whatever you do, your kid will follow.

1. Use FamiSafe

FamiSafe is a great family app that parents can use to monitor their kid's social media and screen time. As a parent, it is your responsibility to keep a close eye on a child's social app activity to prevent them from developing a wrong view of beauty and health. With the help of FamiSafe, you can set certain triggers and warnings and alarm you if your kid is being exposed to unhealthy things online.

How Can Parents Use FamiSafe To Monitor Child's Social App Activity?

FamiSafe has many features which parents can use to monitor and detect their child’s social app activity; these include:

• Explicit Content Detection

FamiSafe has Explicit Content Detection feature that can help parents to monitor certain words and alert them if any signs of eating disorders have been discovered. Parents can set words such as “weight loss”, “laxative”, “am I fat”, “how to get insta-body” etc. Every time FamiSafe detects such a thing you will be informed instantly.

• Web Filter

This feature of FamiSafe can be used to block any websites and online content that promotes unrealistic body images and unhealthy eating habits. FamiSafe can block websites that may contain information that will cause eating disorders among kids.

• Screen Time

A very useful feature of this app is Screen Time which allows parents to set a certain time limit to the app usage. Parents should use this feature to set a time limit on their kid's social apps. This can prevent the overuse of social media and late-night screen time.

How to Use FamiSafe?

FamiSafe is a very simple and easy app to use. You can download it in the following steps:

1. Register

First of all sign-up for an official FamiSafe account via app or website.

1. Install

Now, install the FamiSafe app on your device and your kid’s phone/tablet.

1. Connect

Now connect the two devices and that’s all! You can easily manage the devices through the app or web portal.

Social media itself is not harmful. It is how we use it and how we perceive the information shared there. Social media is becoming a cause of eating disorders among kids because the information shared on social media has a great impact on a person’s body image, self-concept and eating habits. Parents should try their best to prevent such negative influences by limiting their kid’s screen time and using preventive measures beforehand.