Social media has transformed so many aspects of our lives in such a short period of time. Yet, in the middle of big-picture changes like relationships and jobs, one frequently ignored aspect of social media’s influence is our food. For better or worse, how we feed our minds on social media influences how we nourish ourselves in real life.
As we spend hours on social media platforms like Facebook, Tiktok, and Instagram (an average of 2 hours each day), we can’t avoid being influenced by the messages these platforms send about food. Our daily social media consumption gives us an idea of what is typical or appropriate for anything from portion amounts to body sizes. So, can you eat healthy while using social media? Here are some advantages and disadvantages of social media’s effects on eating and tips on creating a healthy feed.
Social Media’s Potential Benefits
We’ve all heard horror reports about how social media harms us. However, if done correctly, keeping up-to-date with your favorite accounts might have a good impact.
Inspires and Encourages
There’s a narrow line between aspirational and simply unrealistic on social media, but when you follow accounts that give a healthy model, you may feel motivated to make significant changes. Subscribing to folks whose diets or fitness levels you appreciate is an option (but who are truthful about their obst).
Offers Useful Skills and Information
Do you want to learn how to cut a pineapple properly? There’s a video on YouTube for it. Do you need a low-sodium meal plan for a month? Pinterest is your ally. It’s never been easier to find information tailored to your specific dietary needs, thanks to social media.
Establishes a Positive Food Community
One of the most appealing aspects of social media is its ability to bring together people with similar interests. Whether you enjoy tropical fruits or are new to a low-carb diet, you may discover people in your situation on internet platforms. And after, you may feel more motivated to keep on track for greater health. In addition, people who connected with more people in an online weight management chat lost more weight.
Exposes you to New Experiences
Gone are the days when attempting a new recipe required rummaging through a stack of cookbooks. Social media platforms now have the ability to introduce us to new meal ideas, simple ingredients, and even different ways of thinking about food with only a few clicks. Subscribe to cooks from all over the world, and you might be inspired to try different ingredients/recipes.
Social Media’s Potential Drawbacks
Despite its positive potential, social media has certain downsides. Keep these potential drawbacks in mind while you spend time on various platforms.
Distracted Eating can Lead to Overeating
It’s not just the content of social media that might be harmful to eating habits; it’s also the process of scrolling. Overeating is frequently the result of distracted eating. Many people feel when they do not pay attention to their food, they eat more of it. So it’s always a great idea to put down your phone, iPad, or computer when eating.
Creates Unrealistic Expectations and Beliefs
Let’s face it: social media isn’t exactly known for setting reasonable expectations. Influencers and people can utilize internet platforms to highlight the best and brightest aspects of their lives, including their eating habits. Holding oneself to these perceived ideal standards is a recipe for failure with our diets. When someone else’s social media post makes you feel bad about yourself, remember that you only see a snapshot of the complete picture.
Meanwhile, it’s easy to forget that social media is a full-time job for many people. For example, following those who devote their lives to gluten-free, vegan cuisine may not be beneficial if you have demanding work and picky eaters. So instead of following stories that make healthy eating appear out of reach, look for ones that are more relevant to your life situations.
Advertisements Impacts Us More than We May Realize
Advertisements, as much as we’d want to pretend we’re resistant to them, are used by marketers because they work. In addition, advertising is becoming increasingly personalized, with targeted adverts targeting you on social media based on your personal information. This can alter our spending habits, self-perceptions, and behaviors. Though additional research on the relationship between social media marketing and food choices is needed, it is apparent that commercials have a tremendous influence on behavior in general, and they may persuade us to reach for items we would not usually choose.
Eating Disorders Could Be Fueled
Ample studies have proven that social media can be detrimental to our mental condition toward eating, particularly in younger age groups. In addition, there is a strong and consistent connection between social media use and eating issues among young adults. The use of social media has also been linked to disordered eating thoughts and behaviors in youngsters as early as seventh and eighth grade. Social media-fueled difficulties such as comparing oneself to peers, idealizing unreachable standards, and receiving nasty remarks about one’s weight can all contribute to disordered eating.
How to Create a Balanced Diet
With so much information about eating properly available on Facebook and Pinterest, it can be challenging to sort through what is helpful and what is not. Want to make your scrolling a healthier, more enjoyable experience? To build a healthy connection with your feed, it may be time to take a closer look at it and clean it up.
Then, apply mindfulness to your screen by paying close attention to how posts (and the friends or influencers who created them) make you feel. If their content makes you want to try a new recipe, motivates you to meal plan, or simply makes you grin, that’s fantastic! Unsubscribe if posts make you feel overwhelmed or horrible about yourself.
Kim’s Final Thoughts…
Social media has become an big part of our everyday lives for many of us. It is up to us to establish how we will react to it and our eating habits. No matter how you customize your feed to promote healthier eating habits, there is one time when you should step away from the screen: when you’re eating! Rather than checking your phone throughout dinner, make it a point to concentrate on—and truly enjoy—the cuisine in front of you.
