Causes

According to research published by the American Psychological Association, teens that reduced their screen time by 50% for a few weeks felt an improvement in their overall appearance compared to those that didn't reduce their screen time. Gary Goldfield, Ph.D., of Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, found that youth are spending most of their time on social media which is as much as six to eight hours. More time spent on social media means more time to potentially be exposed to unrealistic beauty standards. Mass media has been shown to have a correlation to body dissatisfaction and potential eating disorders because the ideal body is thin according to National Eating Disorders Association. These findings aren't just found in women, men are also pressured by the media to have toned muscular bodies in order to be considered attractive (NEDA). All adolescents are spending more time on social networks where they are being exposed to unrealistic body images and content constantly. 

In the Wolfe and Yakabovits article explains that comparisons are often made between peer to peer rather than someone that is considered famous. When one's friends are receiving more engagement on their social media posts, that is typically when comparisons are made rather than when someone famous gets a lot of engagement, because it is expected for someone famous to get that many likes and comments (Wolfe and Yakabovits, 2022). People typically only post the best versions of themselves which isn't always an accurate representation of one's true self. Picture-based content has been found to have more of an influence on body dysmorphia because it is easier to compare body types. Over the past few years, there has been an increase in the use of photo modifications and filters so that girls can make themselves look like their peers (Wolfe and Yakabovits, 2022).