Body Image and Disorder Eating within College Student Using Social Media

The purpose of this study was to explore the relation between body image and disordered eating scores within college students using social media platforms. First year male and female Psychology 101 students at Boise State University participated in a self-report survey, which measured Drive for Thinness, Objectified Body Consciousness, Disordered Eating, Generalized Anxiety, Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance, Drive for Muscularity, and the Depression. Data was analyzed through correlational and descriptive statistics with running Independent t-tests. Results indicated that college students who reported more media pressure to look a certain way also reported more dieting and disordered eating behaviors, drive for thinness, and body surveillance, as well as more anxiety and depression.

Our study examined how individuals within society who are part of social media suffer with body image and disordered eating. Our results suggested that both body image and eating behaviors were affected, and in some cases heightened within the college demographic. Future research should consider how social media factors in the lives of young adults, and how it affects their view of their own bodies.