Social Media: A Breeding Ground for Eating Disorders in Adolescents?

By Ana Espino | Published on June 12, 2026 | 4 min read

Social media now occupies a central place in the lives of adolescents. While these platforms encourage communication and self-expression, they also expose young people to a constant stream of images promoting often unrealistic beauty standards. During a stage of life when identity and self-esteem are still developing, this continuous exposure to idealized body images raises growing concerns about mental health and eating behaviors. Eating disorders already represent a major public health issue among adolescents. Conditions such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, and body dysmorphic disorder can have significant consequences for both physical and psychological health. However, the mechanisms through which social media influences body image and contributes to the development of these disorders remain complex. To better understand this relationship, Indian researchers conducted a literature review examining the links between social media use, body image perception, and eating behaviors among young adolescents.