Social media triggers children to dislike their own bodies

[IwantToRetire]

Three out of four children as young as 12 dislike their bodies and are embarrassed by the way they look, increasing to eight in 10 young people aged 18 to 21.

The findings come from a major new study warning that social media represents a significant risk to the current and future health of today’s young generations.

Nearly half of all children and young people aged from 12 to 21 questioned said they have become withdrawn, started exercising excessively, stopped socialising completely or self-harmed because they are regularly bullied or trolled online about their physical appearance.

Four in 10 said they are in mental health distress, with almost one in five experiencing body image issues and 14% experiencing eating difficulties, such as extreme restrictive eating, binge eating and purging or vomiting. Of those in need of support, just one in ten young people were receiving treatment.

The findings come from a new survey of 1,024 children and young people aged 12 to 21 years old by stem4, the youth mental health charity. Based on the findings, the charity says that urgent action is needed.

From www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jan/01/social-media-triggers-children-to-dislike-their-own-bodies-says-study

I dont think any part of the survey was about gender identity but does indicate the power of social media.

I think this is the study the article is about stem4.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Body-image-among-young-people-Negative-perceptions-and-damaging-content-on-social-media...-new-survey-reveals-Dec-22.pdf

Thanks for posting the study.

That entire article manages to avoid the issue of the sex of the children involved quite spectacularly.

The study, however, spells it out:

'(51% of females 31% of males) say they are in mental health distress. In addition, 17% of 12-21 year-olds are experiencing body image issues (21% of females 13% of males) and 14% are experiencing eating difficulties, such as restrictive eating, binge eating, and purging/vomiting (16% of females 10% of males).'

Thanks for the extract. The article was in my pile (bookmarked) for reading, but there isn't enough time.

This is yet more evidence that what children are subjected to via/by social media is awful, at some point society and parents may start to care.

Its very very sad. All the teenagers that I know well enough to know about (or via their mums) are struggling in one way or another. I think the figures are probably a lot higher in reality. The teen boys in my life would never admit to anything like this even though they are clearly affected. The girls seem more open about it.

Letters in the Guardian. I'm tired but they seem a bit dismissive.

www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jan/03/children-disliking-how-they-look-is-a-natural-stage-of-growing-up

re letter to the Guardian - I am usually one of those boring oldies who say yes we know, you do realise nothing you are doing now hasn't been done before, but ...

I cant imagine how I would have coped with social media had it been available when I was young. With the advent of tv, ie images coming into the home, I became much more self conscious, when previously I would just let my mum dress me to the point where she said you are old enough to decide for yourself!

So having something constantly showing me images that would contrast with my lived experience is something I am sure would have made me more than anxious. Even deciding what to wear would be a daily nightmare.

Particularly as despite girl power and what ever came after that, women and young girls seem even more under pressure to have a photogenic, sexualised image.

So I think the letters published dont really recognised how different a world with a parallel virtual one is to the one where there were few papers, colour magazines and limited television.

Dismissing things is very common, it is why humans do not solve many solveable problems! The second letter is from a man who was badly treated by his own mother. The first letter is more balanced, tbh I agree there was no time when teens skipped the self-conscious phase - but the social media impact on mental health is pretty clear from all data.

The way parents allow their children to be harmed from a very young age by social media amazes me. They would not allow their children to be abused and humiliated in the playground but willingly expose their children to it online.

Why society is happy to keep doing it I don't really get, the costs are huge.