DENVER, Colo. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Eating disorders impact approximately 30 million Americans, and that doesn’t take in account for the ones who struggle but don’t meet the clinical criteria for the disorder. The latest AI technology and social media fads seem to be feeding the problem. But how does ChatGPT and TikTok impact those already struggling with body issues?
22-years-old, Harper Hanssen says, “I was eating maybe like 200 calories a day. I did not feel deserving of food, but I also did not feel deserving of life.”
Harper Hanssen’s relationship with food has been complicated, stemming from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. She says, “I was so anxious, I wasn’t eating; therefore, I was exhausted all the time.”
Social media fueled her pursuit of the perfect body. It’s stories like Harper’s that prompted the US Surgeon General to declare social media a public health concern for young people.
Emily Hemendinger, Clinical Social Worker at University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus says, “It is leading to increased body image concerns.”
University of Colorado social worker Emily Hemendinger warns of the unhealthy connections being made on TikTok.
Hemendinger says, “People are bonding around that identity of having an eating disorder. There are also some really unhelpful dieting tips or exercising tips on there that aren’t really tips.” (:12)
In one recent study, 80 percent of TikTok users said the app hindered their eating disorder recovery.
A Wall Street Journal investigation created a dozen automated accounts registered to 13-year-olds. Within two months, over 32 thousand weight loss videos, including tips on how to consume less than 300 calories a day. Were served to the accounts, many specifically targeting teenaged girls.
And AI is under fire as well. The National Eating Disorders Association recently removed its chat bot from its help hotline after the bot told someone that her eating disorder recovery and weight loss goals can co-exist and then recommended counting calories and regular weigh-ins.
Hemendinger says, “It was a disaster.”
Harper now uses art to help her heal. She says, “It is showing the process of the pain I have been through, but the beauty growing from the pain.”
In a bid to promote better mental health, China is the first country to limit teenagers’ smartphone use to a maximum of two hours a day, and users under the age of sixteen are limited to just one hour a day. If you are struggling with an eating disorder, you can contact the National Eating Disorders Association helpline at 800-931-2237.
Sources:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-tiktok-inundates-teens-with-eating-disorder-videos-11639754848
Contributors to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Producer; Roque Correa, Editor and Matt Goldschmidt Videographer.
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