Heavy social media use is associated with higher rates of eating disorders in adolescents.

Is it true that heavy social media use is associated with higher rates of eating disorders in adolescents?

Unclear. Several sources report an association between heavy or problematic social media use and disordered eating or body dissatisfaction in adolescents, including one exploratory study of 996 young adolescents and a narrative review linking excessive screen use to binge-eating behaviors. All of these are partial: they cover specific populations, proxies such as body dissatisfaction, or broader screen time rather than settling the general claim.

Verdict: PARTIAL LEAN · 5 sources for, 0 against · Last checked 3 Oct 2026

The private library was unavailable for some searches in this check. Missing library results are not evidence against the claim.

Social media use among adolescents with eating disorders: a double-edged sword - PMC Lock. (n.d.). pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1300182

Sabol, M. A. & Duell, N. (2024). Effects of Social Media Use on Body Image and Disordered Eating in Adolescents. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/fxh6m

A Consensus Statement on Potential Negative Impacts of Smartphone and Social Media Use on Adolescent Mental Health. (2025). hec.hal.science. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5256747

V, C., H, C., L, M., C, C., S, T., MV, C., P, P., L, G., E, M., L, B., D, S., M, V., & G, Z. (2026). Screen Time, Unhealthy Eating Behaviors, and Associated Health Risks in Children: A Narrative Review.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.3390/children13070887

Swalve, N. & DeFoster, R. (2025). Fear Knot. play.google.com. https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=ILwnEQAAQBAJ&source=gbs_api