Junk Food or Social Media?
#newspaperinlearning
The Times of India #DigitalLiteracy
I came across a highly insightful article in The Times of India titled, “Is social media addiction leading to eating disorder among teens?”
An article that stopped me right on my tracks and made me ponder over this issue in all seriousness for quite sometime!
The article delves into the huge psychological impact that our increasingly digital world is having on our adolescents - specifically regarding their body image and their eating habits.
As parents and educators, this article deserves to be highlighted and given its due visibility amongst us all. And hence, this post!
The reality of being a teenager today is vastly different from that of past generations. Today, social media isn’t just a place to connect; for many teens, it dictates the standard of what is acceptable, beautiful, and worthy.
The constant exposure to unrealistic beauty standards creates a persistent feeling of inadequacy, which has the power to tragically manifest itself in the form of disordered eating even as they attempt to gain control over their bodies.
Citing two specific research studies - one from Turkey on high schoolers and one from Italy on 9-to-10-year-old girls – the writer goes on to say that, heavy social media use, particularly on visual platforms like Instagram, is directly linked to body dissatisfaction, emotional instability, and a rising eating disorder called orthorexia nervosa (an unhealthy obsession with eating “perfectly”).
What starts as viewing a nutrition-related video reel can slowly turn into shame, and inferiority!
A second study from Italy examined 232 girls aged just 9 to 10 years old. The researchers found that even at this pre-adolescent age, those showing signs of Instagram addiction were already more likely to feel unhappy with their bodies resulting in social withdrawal. Social media is shaping self-image long before the teenage years even begin, he says!
The article underscores the idea that, a better, healthier body image is naturally linked to lower social media addiction.
Well, simply banning screens isn’t a realistic long-term solution in a digital world. Digital platforms have become an indispensable part of our everyday life and living!
So instead of confiscating the phone, parents and educators must teach young people the importance of media literacy aka digital literacy!
Added, in the offline world, as parents and teachers, it is our onerous responsibility not to use sexist remarks and microaggressions that can harm the body image of our kids.
Educators always hold a position of power! And when that power is used to demean or stereotype a student, it fractures the trust required for true mentorship. A student cannot view a professor as a guide or a mentor or as a second parent if that professor is simultaneously mocking or invalidating their identity on a regular basis.
In this regard, it is important to create safe, judgment-free spaces - whether in the classroom or at the coffee table, to discuss their anxieties and insecurities.
In a world ruled by filters and likes, it is important for us to help them build confidence – a confidence that does not depend on their bodily appearance or internet approval!
Because, as the saying goes –
A tree is easily straightened while it is still young!
No comments:
Post a Comment