**TRIGGER WARNING: EATING DISORDERS, DISORDERED EATING, MENTAL ILLNESS**
As a female college student who has a love and a passion for social media marketing and content creation, I can admit my social media consumption is certainly above average and likely unhealthy according to standards of many mental health professionals. Yet, unfortunately, as I look around my college campus and beyond, it is quite easy to see that my daily screen time is not a rare case, but rather the norm for the men and women on college campuses in the U.S. Often we hear from the generations of our parents and grandparents about how our “brains are going to fry” or that we should “put the phone down and read a damn book”. While maybe that can annoy us, it’s rare that we as students sit down and actually take a look at the impact the content we consume everyday has on our frame of mind. I know we often think that once we get to college and live on our own that we have complete control over our sense of self. We think that we are no longer malleable, or that we are too intellectual and self-aware to fall victim to the media and the societal standards of beauty or popularity or whatever it may be.
TikTok has become a space where college-age (and much younger!) individuals have, whether consciously or unconsciously, consumed content that is so often fun, inspirational and entertaining, but also in many ways dangerous. TikTok, in my opinion, has become a space in some ways for individuals to act as experts, as professionals (health, mental health, etc.), as a reliable source for various categories that are so prominent in my life as a college student, and even more so as a female. I am lucky enough to have various resources, most notably my Psychopathology course this semester, that have motivated me to have a more critical eye of the topics of mental health in the media. In the last two weeks, I have become increasingly uncomfortable and distressed by the type of content that has repeatedly been featured on my “For You Page” (a.k.a the TikTok page/algorithm that has been created for me based on my interests, age, gender, etc.). I want to talk about two different categories of videos that have surfaced on my page, and why (through personal experience as well as through knowledge I have gained in my courses about the development and maintenance of mental illness/eating disorders) these are more dangerous than they might first appear.
The first category is a recent trend that has been created and executed by many popular and verified influencers, that involves a sort of dark-humor coping approach for individuals who have experienced eating disorders/mental illness. This has come in various formats, but a notable example is when a very well-known Tiktok influencer made a video joking about one of the habits she had developed during her struggle with an eating disorder. This habit involved refusing to cook with a certain oil because of her perception of its caloric value. This video had no trigger warning, or any explanation about the context of the video. Now, I understand the use of dark humor to cope, and definitely consider myself one to engage in dark humor myself on a regular basis. Sure, it’s easier to joke about a difficult experience than to have to process it in a more direct and serious manner. Yet, I couldn’t help but consider how impressionable young females are, and how easy it is to watch this trend and only be influenced by it in a dangerous way. While it is very unlikely that the intention of these videos is to harm young men and women, it is very possible that these young viewers might engage in harmful behaviors and follow the model that this influencer(s) is demonstrating to them. While maybe this humor is helpful to other individuals who have recovered from an eating disorder, there is really no way to avoid vulnerable populations from viewing and modeling these behaviors. Unfortunately, there are very limited restrictions on this type of content, especially when it is presented in a way that only certain populations would “relate to”/”understand” this type of humor.
The second example of alarming trends on Tiktok, which I had definitely myself previously fallen victim to, is the promotion of THE product (whether it’s a tea, a smoothie, an herbal juice) that will somehow promote weight loss and in some cases, promote seriously dangerous purging behaviors. The other night, I came home from a super great Italian dinner for one of my best friend’s birthdays. I came home with a full stomach and in great spirits after having a night of laughs, good food, and good company. As I got into bed, a Tiktok video came on my page, by another major Tiktok influencer. She was promoting some sort of tea that she called her “secret” to ‘literally get rid of’ a big meal. As I watched the video, I thought quickly to myself, ‘wow.. I could use some of that tea’. Minutes later, I found myself turning my phone off and reflecting in the dark of my dorm room. How could I so easily fall victim to such toxic language? Why would I want to ‘get rid of’ such a wonderful meal with such wonderful friends? This is EXTREMELY problematic language to be using with such a large following and with little to no research on the product. There is NOTHING healthy about “getting rid of a meal”, and there is no method that is healthy in doing so.
The third and final trend that I have seen consistently over the last few years on TikTok is body-checking trends. These trends essentially begin with someone showing some aspect of their body to the camera, and then people follow by sharing a video of themselves showing that same part of their body. For example, a trend might be to show how ‘sharp’ or ‘sculpted’ your jawline is… so essentially girls will post their jawline in a video. This is just outright wrong and an obvious example of harmful comparison that is so unnecessary. To attempt to create a beauty standard for something so specific as a jawline is just strange, and only results in people comparing themselves and gaining insecurities. Our bodies are so vastly different and they are so beautiful because they are UNIQUE! We can’t possibly go on fixating on such small parts of our bodies and comparing them to people we have never even met before. Comparison is so dangerous, and we need to stop looking for new ways to compare our bodies. There cannot be body “checking” because everyone’s body is so unique and we will never be the same as someone else. We need to try to embrace our uniqueness in all forms, and not fall into the trap of comparing something like a jawline, instead of sharing all the love and unique ideas we have to offer to the world.
Even the most intelligent or self-aware of young women must recognize that it is natural that our minds are still sometimes vulnerable to the fake authority and influence that we see on our screens every day. Influencers are NOT good resources for health and wellness. Even if they might claim to have training in these areas, we cannot be sure that the information they are sharing with us is healthy or heavily backed by research. There is also no body that is THE body. There is no IT girl, it is all simply an idea that has been created and artificially molded on a screen. We have to try our best to move away from trying so hard to be the same, and instead use our platforms (however small they may be) to inspire others to share the ways they are unique! We do ourselves and the women of Gen-Z a disservice by indirectly creating inclusivity through beauty standards, and through following along with those who preach unhealthy and toxic information to young women.
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, please reach out to someone for help. Below are a list of resources both on the Holy Cross campus and nationally.
Holy Cross:
- Holy Cross 24-hour Crisis Center number (855-418-7282
- Counseling Center: Students can make an appointment by calling or visiting the Counseling Center, Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Office Location: Hogan 207, Phone: (508) 793-3363
National Resources:
- NEDA Hotline: Chat, Call, or Text for support, resources and treatment for you or a loved one that might be struggling with an eating disorder
https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/help-support/contact-helpline
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