TW: Discussion of mental health and eating disorders.
According to explodingtopics.com, the average TikTok user spends 2 hours a day on the platform, so it is easy to see why a lot of discourse that Gen Z are using is coming from TikTok. Trends often emerge swiftly, shaping conversations and perceptions among its users. Some of the most recent of this being ‘girl dinner’, ‘girl math’ and the ‘I’m just a girl’ trends. Characterised by eating tiny portions of ‘girly foods’ and being bad at maths, driving, education, reading and holding yourself accountable, being ‘just a girl’ at the minute seems to be all the same stereotypes we have seen over and over again. Social media has altered the way women have perceived themselves from the very beginning, perpetuating stereotypes of what women are capable of and what it means to be a woman.
This is not a new phenomenon at all. From the era of striving for unattainable thinness in the 2000’s and starving themselves to do so, it was young people causing themselves facial injuries for lips like Kylie Jenner. The digital landscape has played a huge role in shaping beauty ideals and gender norms. However, the resurgence of gender-based limitations under the guise of satire on TikTok is greatly concerning as it seems to be reinforcing these outdated stereotypes and fostering a culture of self-doubt and inadequacy.
Not all creators are perpetuating these harmful narratives intentionally, but it is difficult to look past these unintentional consequences. What may start as lighthearted humour can quickly be misappropriated by users, leading to the normalisation of disordered eating behaviours or the glorification of unhealthy eating habits. The TikTok algorithm is infamously personalised, and your ‘for you page’ tends to show you videos you have watched for long periods of time or taken an interest in, meaning topics like these are difficult to get away from for people that are struggling. Under the ‘girl dinner’ tag on TikTok, there are a plethora of videos, showcasing minimal food portions and offering advice on appetite suppression. If these restrictive eating patterns are continually pushed onto young people, it can trigger individuals vulnerable to eating disorders as well as making it extremely difficult to avoid for those that are in recovery.
This is all too familiar for those of us that had Tumblr accounts in the early 2010s. Tumblr served as a hub for individuals grappling with eating disorders, offering a platform where they could share their struggles and find a community with like-minded people. Hashtags like #thinspo and #proana gained popularity rapidly, feeds were filled with posts idealising extreme thinness and hunger. The platform became a breeding ground for eating disorder culture, and the tips being shared by those in the so-called ‘#proana’ community was for things such as fasting, calorie restriction and other harmful practices. Tumblr appeared to have a quite laissez-faire approach to content moderation; this allowed the community to flourish. It seems as if TikTok may be allowing the same kind of trends to flourish on their site. It is important to learn from the mistakes of the past. A lot of my peers can attribute their problems with body image and eating habits to the social media culture of our teenage years – to allow for this to happen to another generation would be detrimental.
Social media is a powerful tool for connectivity and self-expression, it also carries risks. Harmful stereotypes dressed up as funny trends will carry on flying under the radar if we do not accept the impact that our use of social media can have on online discourse. It seems to be time that social media platforms and non-vulnerable people make sure they tread carefully, and do not continue to make social media such a difficult place for those in a vulnerable place.
If you are struggling with your body image or eating habits please reach out as there is help available and you are not alone. The university has resources to support eating disorders (https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/health-service/conditions/eating-disorders) and any other mental health worries (https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/health-service/conditions/mental-health).