I wrote my EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) on the correlation between eating disorders and the excessive use of social media by young girls. I decided to explore this particular topic as I felt it is a very prevelant issue within our modern day lives, especially within western societies where our access to social media is infinite and largely un-regulated.
The expansion of the media in the past decade cannot be denied. It has taken over many aspects of our lives and integrated itself into our everyday lives, so much so that life would be unrecognisable without it now. Additionally, the popularity of social media has increased drastically with its audience getting increasingly younger. As younger children are still learning about the world around them, social media can be a damaging place for these children as they take what they see as fact without questioning its validity and can therefore be easily mis leaded.
Within my research, I looked at numerous studies to help support my thesis. I found that within a large-scale, longitudinal study of 11,000 fourteen year olds, it was found that almost 40% of girls who spent over five hours per day on social media showed symptoms of depression compared to only 20% of boys. I likened these statistics to the excessive products and advertisements that can be seen on social media platforms that are targeted towards girls and their certain "flaws." It is both my belief, and many others, that certain flaws such as "small lips" and "undesirable" nose shapes have been created from those in a position of influence that are profiting on the insecurities on girls, as more cosmetic surgeries are taking place today than ever before. Those receiving these cosmetic surgeries are also becoming younger, highlighting the fact that these insecurities are reaching an even younger demographic.
In my essay, I also looked at the damaging reality of social media "influencers." Just as the name suggests, influencers have the power to influence their audience, however they can sometimes do so negatively. Young girls especially can view these people as role models and therefore try to imitate the lifestyle that they present. However, what these young girls fail to realise is that many aspects of these influencers' lives are staged, Photoshopped and only portray the best parts of their lives. Additionally, many influencers are paid to endorse products, such as weight loss products, claiming that they personally use them. Whilst a more informed audience can understand that these claims are probably not true or are aided by surgery or personal trainers, a younger audience may fully trust this person and see "weight" are undesirable, possibly triggering a beginning of an eating disorder.
The fatal reality of eating disorders is highlighted within the shocking statistic that every hour one person dies from an eating disorder related illness. The effects of social media, can be viewed as a key factor in people developing eating disorders, and can be argued to have become more severe with the risk of lifelong impacts to the individual. with young and adolescent women being the most susceptible to develop bulimia with the appeal of a quick weight loss solution enticing many young impressionable young girls who are unaware of these risk factors that are involved. Additionally, teenage dieting has become a socially acceptable trend that encourages unhealthy body images. the idea that girls constantly need self-improvement is a wayin which girls begin to feel inferior and lack any self-confidence. It seems that the fear of being over-weight has triggered a rise in eating disorders, which is unsurprising since this fear can be seen to actively be indoctrinated into many adolescents.
Within my essay, I used the theory of Cultivation by George Gerbner to explore how constant exposure to the "thin-ideal", can lead to damaging feelings of inferiority and worthlessness. this is because young girls, etc, are only exposed to women that do conform to this ideal, therefore they never see their own, realistic, body types represented in the media. Additionally, in the media many images are airbrushed or Photoshopped etc, meaning that many people are constantly viewing images of unreality. This can lead to self-objectification, which can be seen within the rising rates of teen cosmetic surgery to correct certain "faults." It can therefore be seen that preconceived beauty comes with a price to pay for many young teens who "compare themselves against unrealistic... filtered and Photoshopped versions of reality."
Overall, the accumulation of dominant ideologies that are portrayed and advocated on many social media platforms have been shown to hold negative and long-term effects on teenage girls. Additionally, the popularity of social media has made this issue even more widespread.
MY EXTENTENDED PROJECT QUALIFICATION (GRADE A)
Within this essay, I will be referring to both qualitative and quantitative data from numerous studies and scholarly articles to support my research and conclusions. To reach my target audience of young females, I will be referring to existing data that directly affects their demographic and drawing conclusions from the effects that can be or could be seen to impact them. Additionally, my artefact serves to demonstrate the idea of girls being turned into consumable products of society which will be explored and addressed within the essay.
It is clear that the social media industry has grown and expanded significantly in recent years and has become a major influence in the lives of those who are exposed to this new technology. This is most relevant for those who live in western societies, as these platforms are more readily available. Despite the obvious initial benefits, such as being able to reach a wider range of people almost instantly; trends and research have underpinned the deeper, underlying negative effects that social media can have. The effects of social media can be seen most predominantly in young and impressionable girls, especially when they use it consistently. (Campbell, DC. 2019, January 4th. The Guardian). The implications of eating disorders and their correlation to social media platforms will be explored within this report alongside many references from articles and scholarly texts to support the argument and evidence that will be presented.
The first introduction into the world of social media was in 1973, in which it emerged in the form of chatrooms for computer users of the PLATO (Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations) system. (Jones, SJ. 2015, September 24th. Britannica). Since then, the number of social media users has rocketed with approximately 2.77 billion people being online presences on social media platforms in 2019, compared to merely 970,00 in 2010. (Clement, JC. 2018, November 29th. Statista). In the 1970s the first personal computer was introduced by Apple, which held a $1,298 price tag, roughly translating to $5389 in modern-day society (Comen, EC. 2018, October 3rd. Courier Journal). This technology, however, was not widespread due to the high price tag, which created a class divide in who had access to this technology with poorer classes and families not prioritising such a luxury. The limited functions that these chatrooms held do not compare to the vast array of potential and features that social media outlets have today, alongside the easy access to them by individuals. The popularity of these platforms has given much power to social media conglomerates e.g. Google and Facebook, meaning that they now have a large amount of influential power over individuals. Unfortunately for some, such power can be seen to have introduced negative side effects, seen and observed most prevalently in teenage girls.
In a study (Campbell, DC. 2019, January 4th. The Guardian) by health policy editor Denis Campbell, it was found that approximately 75% of fourteen-year-old girls who suffer from depression have and have had body image struggles and suffer from a lack of confidence. This is largely linked to the excessive amount of time they spend on social media compared to boys. These trends were explored within a longitudinal study that investigated and observed 11,000 fourteen-year olds. (Kelly, YK. 2019, January 4th. University College London). The study concluded that almost 40% of girls who spend over five hours on social media daily ‘show symptoms of depression’ compared to under 20% of boys. This is no surprise when, throughout history, commercial beauty products and advertisements have been predominantly aimed at women who have been placed on a pedestal against the unachievable and unrealistic ‘ideal.’ Exposure to these ideals can be seen everywhere from digital and print media, such as: billboards, adverts and magazines. This may explain that, although girls and boys may be exposed to similar types of media, girls may find the effects more drastic and internalise these messages they are receiving, as they already have preconceived ideas of beauty standards and have never known any different.
At the present time, social media platforms are flocked with ’influencers’, predominantly young women, who earn their living by promoting different products to a large audience and, through their supposed authenticity, can persuade the sales of such merchandise. Alongside the promotions, many of these influencers portray a glamourous lifestyle which is enticing for younger girls who view these influencers as role models and want to obtain a similar flawless physique, similar to that of the influencer. However, what many young girls fail to consider is the deception that takes place within these images. Many of the woman are heavily Photoshopped to enhance certain features and erase others, hinting at perhaps a deeper engrained societal problem surrounding unrealistic standards of beauty. Also, many of the products advertised surround the notion of weight loss and dieting; such as Detox Tea, laxatives and appetite supressing condiments are sold as a quick weight loss solution. The accumulation of these subliminal messages creates the mindset that girls need constant maintenance and improvement in order to seem desirable. This can lead to a lack of self-esteem when their bodies do not match this unattainable ideal and can lead to many girls taking drastic measures to try and counteract this. This is backed up by the scholar Gayle R Bessenoff, who studied the Psychology of Women and found that exposure to ‘thin-ideal’ advertisements increased self-hatred, dissatisfaction, depression and lack of confidence in women. (Bessenoff, GRB. 2006, September. Research Gate).
Shocking statistics reveal that every hour roughly one person dies from an eating disorder related problem and due to the wide range of disorders, symptoms and causes it is impossible to pin the root of the disorders down to a single cause. Anorexia is argued to be one of the deadliest mental illnesses due to the physical and mental effect that is potentially life-threatening to the individual, also it has the highest mortality rate than any other mental illness (2012, February 28th. Newport Academy). Anorexia is characterised as being the ‘irrational fear of weight gain’ but, is it truly irrational when young girls especially have been indoctrinated to think in this way? Many girls relate more to the “BEFORE” part of a body transformation, as this tends to be a more natural body form, leading them to internalise a troublesome message that their body is unsatisfactory and in need of improvement. When observing an influencer’s ‘journey to weight loss’ many girls fail to realise that the majority of the products the influencer is endorsing has most likely not been used and the images they are seeing are a result of Photoshop and camera manipulation. This type of camera manipulation was explored by the model Iskra Lawrence on her Instagram account. Here, she exposed the secrets of posture and camera angles by posting two images side by side, one when relaxed and one when posed to show the extent of the difference that can be made. (Finnigan, CF. 2017, May 15th. College Times). Through these images the extensiveness of social media trickery can be viewed first-hand, opening the eyes to many about the extreme effects of deceitfulness on young minds.
Bulimia is an eating disorder that’s described as a “destructive pattern of eating and purging to control weight.” (Legg, TJL. 2017, August 9th. Healthline). Although bulimia is characterised as an eating disorder, it can also have a drastic effect on mental health, as it can heighten risks of anxiety and depression. The causes of this disorder can arise for many different reasons, this includes the impact of societal and cultural pressures (, especially in western societies where females are indoctrinated with a “thin-ideal” thus pushing them towards developing an eating disorder. There can also be many long-term effects (Psych Guides- Bulimia) of bulimia including:
•Tooth decay, cavities, or gum disease, mostly from excessive vomiting
•Stomach ulcers.
•Irregular period
•Weak heart muscle
•Heart failure
•Severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalance
•Kidney problems from diuretic abuse
•Heart Palpitations
•Low pulse or blood pressure
•Chronic fatigue
The effects of social media can clearly be seen to be becoming increasingly more severe with the risk of lifelong impacts to the individual. With young and adolescent women being the most vulnerable to develop bulimia with the appeal of a quick weight loss solution enticing many young impressionable young girls who are unaware of these risk factors that are involved.
The rising rates of eating disorders come alongside the rising rates of teenage dieting which has become a culturally accepted ‘activity’ that is advocated on many social media platforms. This obsession with body weight has become the societal norm, with many overlooking the severe implications this has on young bodies. The restriction of vital nutrition can undermine a young person’s physical development and lead to further problems in the future e.g. stunted bone growth. (Olsen, NO. 2018, February 13th. Health Line). This is because teenage bodies are still growing and developing so they require extra calories and nutrition to aid these natural changes, however when their body is faced with a nutritional deficiency, their body is unable to healthily develop. It has been found that 62.3% of teenage girls have attempted weight loss, with 58.6% actively dieting with the goal of losing weight. (Fielder-Jenks, CFJ. 2018, November 6th. Eating Disorder Hope). This can be directly compared with earlier statistics that found 50% of teenage girls use restrictive methods to lose weight. (Neumark Sztainer, D. (2005). I’m, Like, SO Fat! New York: The Guilford Press). This increase in dieting by 12.3% gives a direct comparison of statistics over the course of eight years and highlights the worsening prevalence of dietary restrictions within young females' diets. It seems a fear of weight gain has been further indoctrinated into many adolescents. This is apparent in a large-scale study of fourteen to fifteen-year-olds, that found those who practiced extreme dieting were eighteen-times more likely to develop an eating disorder than those who did not diet. Nevertheless, this has struck fear into many teenage girls and has indicated a relationship between the fear of obesity and the development of an eating disorder. (Golden, NH. Schneider, M. Wood, C. 2016, September. National Centre for Biotechnology Information).
It was found that there is a “direct relationship” between “sexually objectifying media and the internalisation of beauty ideals.” (Vandenbosch, LV. Eggermont, SE. 2012, October. Journal of Communication, Volume 62, Issue 5). It has also been established that there is a correlation between this trend and the “self-objectification among girls.” The issue of self-objectification can be seen within the rising rates of teenage plastic surgery to correct certain “faults.” Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of American Society of Plastic Surgeons found that around 229,000 cosmetic procedures were performed on patients aged 13 to 19 in 2017 (Paul, KP. 2018, September 30th. Market Watch), compared to only 40,464 surgical cosmetic procedures in 2006. (2006. American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery). More than 40% of surgeons in a recent American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery survey said that looking better in selfies on social media was a large incentive for patients of all ages getting surgery. This highlights the increasing severity of social media use and this issue may be magnified for teens, who use social media more often. It can therefore be seen that preconceived beauty comes with a price to pay for many young teens who “compare themselves against unrealistic… filtered and Photoshopped versions of reality” and reconstruct their own bodies to fit into this ideal. (Fox, KF. 2017, May 19th. CNN).
The idea of repeat exposure to a certain set of ideals and values influencing an individual can be seen through the ‘Cultivation’ theory put forward by George Gerbner. (Gerbner, GG. Gross, LG. 1976). Living with television: The Violence Profile. Journal of Communication). This theory draws similarities between children watching violent television and the children become violent in their behaviour. However, the underlying basis of the theory supports the idea that repetitive exposure to a certain representation, over a period, can shape and influence the way people perceive themselves and the world around them. For example, if a teenage girl was consistently exposed to the idea of thinness equalling beauty, that girl would inevitably internalise this dominant ideology put forward by the society around her. This can be very damaging for young females’ self-esteem and can consequently lead to feelings of worthlessness, as women like themselves may not be represented in the media, with social media platforms and companies instead favouring women who do conform to these physical demands.
In the final analysis, the accumulation of dominant ideologies that are portrayed and advocated on many social media platforms have been shown to hold numerous negative, although perhaps unintentional, long-term effects on teenage girls. Trends in data point to the conclusion that constant exposure to this type of damaging media, that glorifies a ‘thin ideal’, can lead to higher risks of mental health diseases, eating disorders and lack of body confidence and self-worth. And with the rapid growth of eating disorder related illnesses over the past decade, it is to be expected that these rising rates have disproportionately affected teenagers and young people between the ages of twelve and twenty-five. (Bessenoff, GRB. 2006, September. Research Gate). Therefore, undoubtedly, it can be confidently stated that the negative effects of social media have become increasingly more severe in recent years due to the ever-growing popularity of these social networking platforms and the growing online presence of its users, with its most vulnerable and susceptible victims being teenage girls.
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