Communications of the ACM
Cutting Down on Instagram, TikTok Makes Teens Feel Better About Weight, Appearance, Says Study
While numerous studies have found a correlation between poor body image and social media, it is often unclear whether those with body image issues spend more time on social media, or if more time on social media leads to more body image issues.
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Researchers at Canada's Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, McGill University, and Carleton University found that reducing time on social media could improve teens' self-esteem and body image.
The study involved 220 students aged 17 to 25 who used social media for two or more hours daily and had symptoms of anxiety or depression.
After one week, half of the participants reduced their social media use for three weeks to an average of 78 minutes per day, versus 188 minutes for the remainder of participants.
Children's Hospital's Gary Goldfield said, "Our brief, four-week intervention using screentime trackers showed that reducing social media use yielded significant improvements in appearance and weight esteem in distressed youth with heavy social media use."
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