Introduction: The goal of this study is to explore how using social media and content from influencers affects disordered eating symptoms among female university students.

Methods: This was done using a combination of a purpose-built online survey (with 1,121 participants) and a qualitative content analysis of the social media influencers in beauty, health, and lifestyle that the participants follow the most.

Results: The findings revealed that 65.3% of the sample spends more than three hours per day on social media networking sites; additionally, the majority reported that they use social media as a source of reliable information, and half reported that they are influenced by social media influencers. The EDE-Q tool yielded higher scores in the weight and shape concern sub-categories, with mean scores of 1.99 (1.51) and 1.98 (1.62), respectively. In terms of content analysis, four social media accounts with a total of 218 posts were examined, yielding two main themes: photography to emphasize ideal bodies and beauty and happiness.

Conclusion: These findings emphasize the impact of social media on the studied sample and highlight the importance of implementing tailored policies to mitigate its negative effects on this group’s dietary behavior.

Title

Frontiers in Communication

Publisher

Frontiers Media SA

Publisher Country

Switzerland

Indexing

Scopus

Impact Factor

1.5

Publication Type

Online only

Volume

10

Year

2025

Pages

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