What Parents Need to Know About Social Media Content About Eating Disorders

From the earliest internet forums to the current TikTok feeds of millions of teens, there has always been an active and influential online culture of “advice” for eating disorder (also known as pro-ana or pro-ED content). These online communities are as diverse as the people who frequent them, full of messages that span the spectrum from malicious disinformation to genuine support for recovery. Pro-ED content has never been more accessible, even if it doesn’t look as obvious as track-thin supermodels on magazine covers of the past. What is considered dangerous, launching content has never been more controversial and in this sense more insidious.

As the number of eating disorders among teens is already on the rise during the pandemic, many experts have found that TikTok increases the risk of developing an eating disorder. Despite the fact that TikTok trying to censor video about Ana, a study conducted in February 2021, showed that even video “against pro-anorexia” on TikTok paradoxically force users to simulate a “guilty” behavior. To better understand this phenomenon and find out what anxious parents need to know about it, I spoke with Dr.Alyx Timko , psychologist in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, which focuses on eating disorders, and Dr. Melissa Coffin, Senior Director of Clinical Programming at Monte Nido & Affiliates .

An extremely brief overview of the content of pro-ED

One of the unofficial rules of the Internet is that ANA communities will always find some sort of home on all social media platforms (with one of the few exceptions being LinkedIn … for now). So it comes as no surprise that in February 2020, Buzzfeed reported a predominance of pro-ana content on many of the For You TikTok pages. As I said above, the Buzzfeed investigation refers to the fact that ED content is not clear and even works like a double-edged sword:

Researchers have long known that social media and old online communities can offer support to people with stigmatized conditions like eating disorders. For example, Reddit’s decision to remove the r / proED subroutine in 2018 was met with outcry from community members who explained that, despite its name, the subroutine was not actually used as a space to promote eating disorders and functioned more as a support group. … …

What is clear is that the danger with modern ED content is that it no longer resembles the obvious, easily identifiable hashtags “pro-ana” or “thinspo” (subtle inspiration) of the early Internet. More relevant right now than explicit “tips and tricks” are indirect, nuanced, and often coded forms of eating disorder that are spreading in seemingly harmless forms, such as the hashtag “What do I eat per day” on TikTok. (I am not linking to this hashtag, but if you find it, you will see TikTok’s disclaimer on user safety and viewer redirection to the National Eating Disorders Association.)

What you need to know about the TikTok algorithm in particular

More than any other social media platform, TikTok finds a way to show you the videos you’re about to watch. Dr. Isabel Gerrard, researcher and social media content moderation consultant, writes for WIRED that “The problem TikTok is facing right now is that its page works exactly as it should for you when it shows receptive viewers. who eat messy content … the algorithm doesn’t make moral decisions; he recognizes what you usually watch and shows you more. ” Gerrard previously posted a similar issue on Instagram, Pinterest and Tumblr.

While well-known anorexia searches (like #proana or #thinspo) redirect users to a support page, common spelling mistakes are full of videos about harmful eating disorders. (for example, something like the “thigh gap” above the “thigh gap”). (This is a fake example because I’m not trying to point anyone to the hip gaps.) In particular, the recovery videos are hardly helpful or harmful. TikTok’s policies allow videos that provide “support, resources, or coping mechanisms” for people with eating disorders. DISORDER RETURN CHECK and other trends are filled with videos of people showing before and after photographs of their recovery or documenting their daily life as they recover.

If someone is passionate about (and receptive) to content in support of ED, they will have no problem finding endless amounts of this content on the Internet. Personally, this fact has been confirmed since I first created Tumblr in 2009. This has been confirmed since I downloaded Instagram in 2011. And it has been proven ever since I joined TikTok in 2020.

The key point to know about the TikTok algorithm is that the For You page will display videos in direct response to your browsing habits (and not just from accounts you intentionally follow, like Instagram or Tumblr). So as much as I try to avoid videos of what I eat of the day from influencers who adhere to beauty standards, TikTok already knows that I tend to linger and watch them. And so it serves me and countless others, moreover the same ambiguously triggering ED content.

If you are a parent or otherwise concerned about someone’s susceptibility to this kind of inevitable, ruthless ED support, you may feel helpless in the face of social media’s almighty stranglehold. Fortunately, eating disorder experts have some tips to help you protect young people from malicious content online.

Be mindful and make social media work for you

Children don’t forget. Timko stresses the fact that many young users are aware of how social media affects their body image and that they cannot trust everything they see on the Internet as “real life.” At the same time, due to their age, many adolescents and adolescents still do not realize how all the images they are exposed to will affect them on a deeper level. Through client work and research, Timko discovers that many children “objectively know that filters are not reality, and [children] think that this means they personally know how to correctly interpret what they see on the Internet. However, this objective knowledge can “fly out of the window” and be replaced by more emotional reactions.

Simply put, kids know that other people use filters and lie online. But this knowledge does not always protect them from feelings of insecurity. Timko encourages parents to talk to their children about body image and healthy habits , rather than letting social media control the story.

Likewise, Coffin says that many of her clients have ended up in rabbit holes, following the food and behavior of any influential person. What is most helpful to her young clients, she says, is that they ask themselves, “What do I get when I check social media? Is there any other way to satisfy this need? Encourage your child to tune in to his emotional reactions to all the images they see, no matter what their rational brain tells them. If they are looking for a sense of connection, encourage them to reach out to real people they know instead of identifying (and comparing themselves) to influencers on the Internet. If they feel sucked into a maelstrom of insecurity, it might be time to just click “unsubscribe” to make them feel that way.

One idea is to create accounts that will use the same accounts as your child so that you can explore the content and intervene if necessary. To Parents, Coffin encourages you to “be curious” and try to change the algorithm to align with your values ​​of body positive and affirmation.

Have dinner with your family, literally or figuratively

Timko says that family meals are important not just as a meal time, but as an allotted time to have a safe place to have a frank conversation. Even if you are not physically sitting at a table to eat together, try to set aside “some time to check what is really going on in your children’s lives.”

Direct talk about social media

When you have a specific time for your family, open the gate for direct, honest conversation about social media. When it comes to what kind of digital privacy you should give your kids , remember that while young kids are not entitled to absolute privacy on their devices, you cannot control everything. Therefore, it will always be more important to maintain open lines of communication.

This is especially important given how the social media landscape is constantly changing, says Coffin: “Your child will evolve as they get older and as technology grows,” so social media conversations will never be the same. -And it’s done.

For additional help, Timko encourages parents to find out if their local school districts have parent information sessions to gain resources and learn about media literacy. Both Timko and Coffin point out that children will inevitably outsmart the older generation in terms of finding workarounds to control their social networks, so the most important thing to do is to organize these ongoing, honest conversations at home.

We’ve written quite well on how to navigate your child’s use of social media. Check out our past articles on how to introduce your child to social media , how to shorten the time your child spends in front of the screen , and what we actually know about how social media affects teen mental health .

Recognition of ED warning signs

Many warning signs of eating disorders and any number of behavior disorders can appear healthy and positive on the outside. Timko advises to watch out for any drastic changes in their eating habits, such as excluding food groups or moralizing what they eat . Try to model a non-judgmental approach to food so that you don’t motivate your child to view “unhealthy food” as a moral flaw or “clean food” as a moral achievement.

Likewise, watch for sudden changes in intensity, frequency, and emotion associated with exercise, such as checking if your child is upset when exercise is prohibited or changed for any reason. A complete list of warning signs and symptoms of eating disorders can be found on the resources of the National Eating Disorders Association.

Final thoughts

Social media isn’t going anywhere. Instead of trying to block and disallow an endless stream of launching content, focus on getting the algorithm to access the content you approve of. “You can create whatever you want on social media,” says Coffin. If you search for challenging content, you will find it. But if you look at body positivity and healthy behavior, you can find that too.

As with any concern for your children’s well-being, one of the most important things you can do is make them feel safe and heard through open channels of communication.