Mental Resilience
13-17
Fitness-Tok and Body Dysmorphia
How health and fitness algorithms can distort a teenager's view of a healthy body.
THE ALGORITHM
Health and fitness algorithms prioritize extreme transformations and perfect physiques. This content is often edited with filters or involves the use of performance-enhancing substances that are not disclosed.
THE IMPACT
Teenagers exposed to this content daily may develop body dysmorphia, where they feel they are never lean enough or muscular enough, regardless of their actual health.
SAFETY STEPS
1. Diversify Your Feed: Follow accounts that focus on performance and skill rather than just appearance.
2. Reality Checking: Remember that influencers spend hours on lighting and posing for a single photo.
3. Awareness: If your social feed makes you feel bad about your body, use the Not Interested button to reset your algorithm.
Health and fitness algorithms prioritize extreme transformations and perfect physiques. This content is often edited with filters or involves the use of performance-enhancing substances that are not disclosed.
THE IMPACT
Teenagers exposed to this content daily may develop body dysmorphia, where they feel they are never lean enough or muscular enough, regardless of their actual health.
SAFETY STEPS
1. Diversify Your Feed: Follow accounts that focus on performance and skill rather than just appearance.
2. Reality Checking: Remember that influencers spend hours on lighting and posing for a single photo.
3. Awareness: If your social feed makes you feel bad about your body, use the Not Interested button to reset your algorithm.