Social media use, disordered eating, and body image in adolescent females: a systematic review of the literature

Adolescent females are especially at risk of developing eating disorders due to expectations surrounding body image, social pressures, and influence from peers. With the significant role of social media in daily life, the average adolescent currently spends several hours a day engaging with content on social media. The overall aim of this review was to better understand the impact of social media consumption on disordered eating and body image among female adolescents. The primary research questions explored within this systematic review were as follows: Is there a relationship between social media use, body image concerns, and/or eating disorder symptoms in adolescent girls? What social media platforms and forms of engagement on social media are related to body image concerns and disordered eating? What is the age, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status of adolescent females endorsing body dissatisfaction and/or eating disorder symptoms? Seven studies that met the inclusion criteria were examined and their findings were synthesized narratively. Results of this review help identify gaps in the literature to guide eating disorder prevention, treatment, and research