Are you obsessed with posting regular updates and sharing pictures on social media? This is a warning call for you. Also, if you know someone who is a social media maniac and cannot sleep without posting at least one picture daily, tell them that they in big trouble. This obsession is injurious for your health. Keeping aside psychological effects of social media overuse which is known to one and all, we would like to inform you about the eating disorder that you can get with if your social media obsession continues. This article would give you more clarity.
We are living a virtual life with more involvement in social media interactions than in the real world and the people around us. Mostly youth, even if they are sitting with their family members, they are still glued to their smartphones and social media surfing. The young generation likes to document each and everything happening with them whether good or bad. But, on the other hand, they don’t like posting pictures without filters. Some editing is always done. While some people are quite serious about this, some do this for fun. However, this fun can get wrong as you might develop eating disorders.
Social Media Uploads And Eating Disorders
Florida State University in the United States conducted a research which got published in the journal ‘International Journal Eating Disorders’. According to this study, the passion for editing pictures and posting them on different social media platforms to get likes and comments can trigger an eating disorder. The habit of adding filters to pictures has a direct connection with the development of eating disorders.
Also Read: Excessive Use Of Smartphone Can Injure Your Neck and Head
Many people edit their photos thinking that the original one isn’t worthy of posting. The research team found that such people gained weight and fat issues. Surprisingly, most of them are college students who hope to get maximum likes on their pictures and therefore edit them to make them more pleasant and appealing. This habit triggers anxiety as when they do not achieve the mark, they get tensed and anxious. This anxiety then causes eating issues as it reduces cravings and all they care about is photos and not food which is highly concerning.
Co-author of the study Pamela K Keel said, “As more people turn to social media to stay connected, it’s critically important to let others see you as you are. Compared with edited photos, we saw no decrease in the number of likes or comments for unedited photos on Instagram; knowing this could reduce harmful pressures to change how you look.”
Also Read: Unplugging Yourself From The Social World Can Help You To Escape From Mental Stress
This may even cause depression
This obsession doesn’t stop as it can push a person to a state of depression The extent is so much that he/she develops mental instability issues over time. Parents need to be watchful to their children’s actions and most importantly, their social media presence. Afterward, they can take them to a counselor to help them cope with this condition.
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