A preliminary investigation of the causal role of social media use in eating disorder symptoms

Background and objectives: Research has consistently shown that greater social media use is associated with elevated eating disorder (ED) symptoms. Importantly, however, the investigation of this relationship has largely relied upon the use of self-report measures of social media use in the context of correlational designs. Given that correlational studies do not permit inferences regarding causation, and recent findings questioning the validity of self-report social media use, it is critical to corroborate past findings using experimental designs and objective measures. The current study sought to experimentally determine the potential causal impact of social media use in ED symptoms. Methods: Participants completed an initial testing session to assess objective smartphone social media use and ED symptoms, following which they were randomly assigned to either suspend social media use for one week or use social media as usual. One week later, participants completed a second testing session to again assess social media use and ED symptoms. Results: Results revealed that the manipulation exerted an impact on ED symptoms, such that participants who successfully reduced social media use exhibited a significant reduction in ED symptoms, and these symptoms were significantly attenuated as compared to participants in the control condition. Limitations: The current study did not employ an active control condition and almost a quarter of participants were excluded due to dropout or non-compliance. Conclusion: Findings are consistent with the causal impact of social media use in ED symptoms and suggest that a brief social media ‘holiday’ may reduce ED symptoms in undergraduate students.