Smartphone and Instagram use, body dissatisfaction, and eating disorders: investigating the associations using self-report and tracked data

Abstract

Background Previous research has linked smartphone and Instagram use to higher body dissatisfaction (BD) as well as eating disorder (ED) symptomatology. However, these studies have typically been limited to using self-report measures for technology use which, as shown by scientific literature, might not be reliable. In the present work, we combine self-reported assessments as well as tracked smartphone and Instagram use. Methods The effective sample comprised N = 119 women (34 with ED diagnosis history) who were queried about BD and ED symptomatology, and who provided the data about their smartphone and Instagram use duration for each day of the previous week. Results The study results show that women with an ED diagnosis history scored higher on both BD as well as ED scales. Although women with an ED diagnosis history had higher smartphone screen time, there were no statistically significant differences in Instagram screen time. Tracked smartphone use duration was positively correlated with both BD and ED symptomatology, but the role of Instagram use needs to be further elucidated. Conclusions The results of this study show that while BD and ED symptomatology are correlated with smartphone use, it may be that Instagram use is not the main contributor to that relationship.

Exploring the Link between Mindful Eating, Instagram Engagement, and Eating Disorders: A Focus on Orthorexia Nervosa

“…While daily Instagram use did not show statistical significance concerning disordered eating, it did exhibit a noteworthy association with orthorexia nervosa tendencies, as indicated by the significant difference in means of ORTO-R scores based on daily Instagram engagement. This finding supports the growing body of research that links social media use, particularly on visually oriented platforms like Instagram, to the development of orthorexia nervosa [55].…”

Effects of a 14-day social media abstinence on mental health and well-being: results from an experimental study

“…This hypothesis is supported only descriptively, as no correlation is significant. Screentime showed weak negative associations with appearance evaluation and body area satisfaction, and positive associations with appearance orientation (see that also using objective screentime-measures, a recent work by Rozgonjuk et al [ 64 ] established links between longer smartphone use and higher body dissatisfaction; in this work also patients with eating disorders were investigated). The present findings suggest that individuals who spend more time on their smartphones are a little more appearance oriented and a little less satisfied with their bodies.…”

“…Body image is negatively associated with social media use, as exposure to idealized body types and social comparison in particular on visual driven social media platforms could lead to body dissatisfaction [ 7 , 63 , 64 ]. Although social media is not the only factor contributing to a negative body image, [ 65 , 66 ] abstaining from it is likely to improve body image by reducing the exposure to social comparison.…”