Media influences and conventional beauty standards have long plagued society.

This issue took on new urgency in May 2023 when the over the .

Research shows that images of beauty as depicted in movies, television and magazines , issues with disordered eating and .

These trends have been documented , in the and in and ethnic backgrounds.

Experts have long suspected that social media may be playing a role in the growing . However, the surgeon general鈥檚 warning is one of the first .

Social media can be toxic

Body dissatisfaction among children and adolescents is commonplace and decreased quality of life, worsened mood and unhealthy eating habits.

As an , I regularly work with clients who experience eating disorder symptoms, self-esteem issues and anxiety .

I also : I am 15 years post-recovery from an eating disorder, and I grew up when people were beginning to widely use social media. In my view, the impact of social media on diet and exercise patterns needs to be further researched to inform future policy directions, school programming and therapeutic treatment.

The mental health of adolescents and teens has been , and the and brought it into the spotlight. As the mental health crisis surges, researchers have been taking a in these increasing mental health concerns.

The pros and cons of social media

About 95% of children and adolescents in the U.S. between the ages of 10 and 17 are .

Research has shown that for finding . However, studies have also shown that the use of social media contributes to social comparisons, unrealistic expectations and .

In addition, those who have tend to spend more time on social media. People in that category are more likely to and . Women and are more likely to feel worse about their bodies and themselves after they spend time on social media.

A breeding ground for eating disorders

A recent review found that, as with mass media, the use of social media is a risk factor for , body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating. In this review, social media use was shown to contribute to negative self-esteem, social comparisons, decreased emotional regulation and idealized self-presentation that negatively influenced body image.

Another study, called the , published in April 2023, found that 9 in 10 children and adolescents ages 10 to 17 are exposed to toxic beauty content on social media and 1 in 2 say that this has an impact on their mental health.

Eating disorders are that develop because of biological, social and psychological factors. Eating disorder hospitalizations and the need for treatment have dramatically .

include isolation, food scarcity, boredom and related to weight gain, such as the 鈥�.鈥� That was a reference to the weight gain some people were experiencing at the beginning of the pandemic, similar to the 鈥渇reshman 15鈥� belief that one will gain 15 pounds in the first year of college. Many teens whose routines were disrupted by the pandemic turned to eating disorder behaviors for or were influenced by family members who held unhealthy beliefs around food and exercise.

Researchers have also found that increased time at home during the pandemic and therefore more exposure to toxic body image and dieting social media content.

While social media alone will not cause eating disorders, , which are amplified by social media, can contribute to the development of eating disorders.

鈥楾hinspo鈥� and 鈥榝itspo鈥�

Toxic beauty standards online include the normalization of cosmetic and surgical procedures and pro-eating-disorder content, which promotes and romanticizes eating disorders. For instance, social media sites have promoted trends such as 鈥渢hinspo,鈥� which is focused on the thin ideal, and 鈥渇itspo,鈥� which perpetuates the belief of there being a perfect body that can be achieved with dieting, supplements and excessive exercise.

Research has shown that 鈥� or dieting through pseudoscientific claims can lead to obsessive behavior around dietary patterns. These unfounded 鈥渨ellness鈥� posts , chronic stress, body dissatisfaction and higher likelihood of .

Some social media posts feature , which directly or indirectly encourages disordered eating. Other posts promote deliberate manipulation of one鈥檚 body, using harmful quotes such as 鈥渘othing tastes as good as thin feels.鈥� These posts provide a false sense of connection, allowing users to bond over a shared goal of losing weight, altering one鈥檚 appearance and continuing patterns of disordered eating.

While young people toxic beauty advice鈥檚 effects on their self-esteem, they may still continue to engage with this content. This is in part because friends, influencers and to follow certain accounts.

How policy changes could help

are proposing different .

Policy recommendations include increased transparency from social media companies, creation of higher standards of and that would discourage companies and marketers from using altered photos.

Phone-free zones

Small steps at home to cut down on social media consumption can also make a difference. Parents and caregivers can for the family. Examples of this include putting phones away while the family watches a movie together or during mealtimes.

Adults can also help by modeling healthy social media behaviors and encouraging children and adolescents to focus .

Mindful social media consumption is another helpful approach. This requires recognizing what one is feeling during social media scrolling. If spending time on social media makes you feel worse about yourself or seems to be causing mood changes in your child, it may be time to change how you or your child interact with social media.

This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. Read the .

Surgeon general Vivek Murthy warned Tuesday in a that social media poses a profound risk to children, with excessive use impacting sleep, relationships and depression that can lead to thoughts of suicide. The report may also shape national policy as legislators and courts take on algorithms, privacy and age policies, and access to platforms. 

鈥淲e are in the middle of a national youth mental health crisis, and I am concerned that social media is an important driver of that crisis 鈥� one that we must urgently address,鈥� Murthy said in a statement.

According to Murthy鈥檚 report, even as 95% of teens and 40% of 8-12 year olds use social media, there is no evidence platforms are 鈥渟ufficiently safe.鈥� Spending more than three hours daily doubles their risk of poor mental health, including depression and anxiety symptoms, the report states. The average daily use for teens is three and a half hours, research shows.

The surgeon general also noted push notifications, infinite scrolls, and public like lists are particularly enticing and concerning for youth in early adolescence who frequently compare themselves to peers.

Citing many of the same concerns Murthy identified, more than 100 school districts nationwide have sued companies including TikTok, Snap, YouTube and Meta for their allegedly addictive algorithms that they say harm students.

Lawyers at the forefront of district litigation said the surgeon general鈥檚 report strengthens their claims.

鈥淚 think you鈥檙e going to see even more file as a result of this advisory,鈥� said Dean Kawamoto, counsel with Keller Rohrback, the leading Seattle-based law firm representing several districts who hope to make platforms less harmful. 

But some lawyers not involved in the case remain skeptical, believing that while the report will inform the national conversation, it does not carry enough weight to make waves in court.

鈥淚t is tentative and ambiguous and not really definitive in the way that most courts are going to want when ruling on something being dangerous,鈥� said Rebecca Tushnet, First Amendment expert and Harvard Law professor.

In contrast to the definitive stance on, for example, smoking, the surgeon general acknowledged social media also holds benefits. Platforms can help create a community for marginalized young people.

Active Minds, one of the nation鈥檚 leading mental health advocacy nonprofits, urged families and policy makers curbing social media access in the wake of the advisory to consider what may be lost. 

Bans could cut off access to critical sex education or communities where isolated LGBTQ, Black and Brown youth feel they belong 鈥� similar reasons other .

鈥淲hile the harmful impacts of social media usage on youth mental health certainly exist, are well documented, and require additional research鈥e鈥檝e also heard from many youth and young adults, particularly from vulnerable communities, who credit social media with saving their lives,鈥� Active Minds told 蜜桃影视.

Among the practical recommendations for and tech companies: set limits in the house around meals or bedtime; reach out for help; share data that could further research on health impacts; enforce age minimums; develop safety standards by age; and increase funding for research. 

鈥淥ur children and adolescents don鈥檛 have the luxury of waiting years until we know the full extent of social media鈥檚 impact. Their childhoods and development are happening now,鈥� the report states.

About two thirds of adolescents are 鈥渙ften鈥� or 鈥渟ometimes鈥� exposed to hate-based content. Six in 10 girls have been contacted by a stranger on social media in ways that make them uncomfortable. Young girls and LGBTQ youth are more likely than their peers to experience cyberbullying or harassment, which about 75% of adolescents believe is poorly managed by social media sites. 

At the same time, in a recent survey of , 64% said they would rather give up their right to vote for one year than give up their social media accounts.

Meta and TikTok did not respond to requests for comment. 

“As a messaging service for real friends, we applaud the Surgeon General鈥檚 principled approach to protecting teens from the ills of traditional social media platforms,鈥� a spokesperson for Snap Inc, owner of SnapChat, told 蜜桃影视.

They鈥檇 just watched a three minute, wordless animation 鈥� 5,618 frames hand-drawn by Red Mountain High School senior Mariana Myers.

A genderless, ageless figure downloads apps. Dopamine fires in their brain; they appear to float. They seek the feeling out more often, foregoing stretching for a morning scroll, isolating from friends to stay connected online. A chain appears on their wrist. They adopt risky behaviors like using their phone while driving. 

When they realize and break the chain, they fall into an abyss.

The black and white video essay illustrates in painful simplicity how social media addiction and fear of being disconnected, termed nomophobia, can impact young people. 

Researched and produced for her English class, Myers鈥檚 work found its way into a 111-page lawsuit in which her home district, the largest in Arizona, is suing TikTok, Meta, YouTube, Snap and Google for allegedly targeting and addicting young people through harmful product design. They are one of dozens. 

鈥淵ou鈥檝e got 250 people in a room and you could not hear a word and there were tears in people’s eyes,鈥� said Mesa Public Schools superintendent Andi Fourlis. 鈥淭hat begs, let’s do something differently about this. So I have to answer that call.鈥�

Myers told 蜜桃影视 she drew inspiration from independent research, documentaries and real-life observations, of bullying, hate speech, addiction, eating disorders, and friends basing their worth off of likes.

She knew immediately that she wanted to attempt an animation, what she sees as the most powerful art form. 

鈥淵ou can take any type of idea that you have in your head. It not only conveys an idea, but it can also convey things like movement, emotion, expression.鈥�

A gymnastics coach for kids three through fourteen, Myers has witnessed youth of many ages grow dependent on their phones. Every water break, phones come out, and in-person interaction stops. 

They implemented a new rule: lock your phone in a box as you walk in for the three-hour practice. But some still found a way to keep their connection, hiding their phones in their lockers or deep in backpacks. 

鈥淭hey just constantly needed鈥� to check their social media in particular,鈥� Myers said. 鈥淚 would see them on Snapchat or Instagram, messaging friends and I’m like, you’re here to do gymnastics 鈥� you can go home and do that. But it was almost as if they couldn’t change that pattern.鈥�  

The phenomenon is one of many she illustrated for the video essay, showing how the urge to connect online can drive isolation with peers in person. 

Particularly in the throes of a youth mental health crisis, experts suggest schools familiarize themselves with warning signs of youth behavior and make schools as affirming as possible. 

While Myers has not struggled with severe addiction, she knows the impact access to professional help can have. Long before she ever downloaded a social media app, she struggled with disordered eating and Tourettes.  

She attended a group for young people in recovery, many of whom pointed to social media as the cause or a contributor to their disordered relationship to food or body image. 

鈥淣o matter how subtle, or how purposeful it is, any type of subliminal messaging like that can end up being extremely impactful.鈥�

Though some of her mental health struggles predated her use of social media, she faced the fear of missing out that many children experience as they see their peers鈥� lives played out online. 

She could see every time her former teammates, who she鈥檇 been very close with before getting a concussion, would hang out.

鈥淚 was very sad that I had been excluded from a lot鈥� Because that was my team.鈥� The posts became 鈥渁 reminder that I wasn’t there anymore.鈥� 

She decided at the time to take a break from social media, something she now does often.

Today, she is a self-described mom-friend and therapist for teammates, friends, sometimes family. She鈥檚 the sarcastic person many turn to when they鈥檙e in pain, mentally or physically. She has a locker full of braces for any body part, 鈥渂ecause I鈥檓 amazing at getting hurt.鈥�

Professional mental healthcare is a resource she wishes more of her peers had access to.

鈥淗aving somebody to talk to that was trained was very helpful,鈥� said Myers. 鈥淚 wish that was something more people could have, something that had less of a stigma around it鈥� Addictions can be a scary thing.鈥�