<p data-start="0" data-end="204" class="">How many hours a day do you spend scrolling through social media? You may not realise it, but TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are not only eating up your time, they're also quietly manipulating your taste buds and hunger.</p>

<div class="flex max-w-full flex-col flex-grow"><div data-message-author-role="assistant" data-message-id="3d94b036-a5ea-40c4-ae64-96c990a8c2fd" dir="auto" class="min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 whitespace-normal break-words text-start [.text-message+&amp;]:mt-5" data-message-model-slug="gpt-4o"><div class="flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[3px]"><div class="markdown prose w-full break-words dark:prose-invert light"><p data-start="206" data-end="651" class="" style="text-align: justify;"> Social media is not just a playground, but also a giant kitchen with millions of invitations. Are you eating because you are hungry, or because some algorithm has set it up? According to <em data-start="211" data-end="231">Nutrition Journal</em> <span>(</span> 2024), people who spend more than two hours a day on social media tend to be easily swayed by eating trends, ready to change their diet just because of a viral video or a &quot;foodporn&quot; photo that is too attractive. Have you ever rushed to order a dish just because someone reviewed it on TikTok? You are not alone. This impulsiveness can turn into uncontrolled, unbalanced meals, and worse, eating for emotions instead of what your body needs.</p></div></div></div></div>

<p data-start="0" data-end="531" class="" style="text-align: justify;">In addition, what is labelled "healthy food" online is just the tip of the iceberg. Extreme diet trends spread quickly, infiltrating the habits of millions of people without any verification. Many people accidentally turn their bodies into mobile laboratories, where anonymous diet recipes are constantly tested. Meanwhile, those who do not let social networks dictate their meals maintain balanced eating habits, listening to their bodies instead of following a frivolous trend.</p>

<p class="wp-block-heading"><strong><span>How does social media change weight?</span></strong></p>

<p data-start="533" data-end="1119" class="" style="text-align: justify;">Social media not only determines what you watch, but it also secretly affects your weight in unexpected ways. A 22-year study in the UK followed 1,400 students to find out the link between time spent online, engagement with social media, and eating habits. The results showed that the group who spent more time on digital platforms had a higher BMI, were more likely to eat emotionally, and were more likely to crave food even when they weren&rsquo;t hungry. Another study found that people who ate while surfing the web could consume 15% more calories without even realising it (Obesity Journal, 2019).</p>
<p data-start="1121" data-end="1193" class=""></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">Sometimes cravings don&rsquo;t originate in the stomach, but rather from an unconscious swipe of the screen. The more you immerse yourself in social media, the more you are manipulated by &ldquo;false hunger&rdquo; caused by sophisticated advertising, sensory-drenched mukbang videos, and perfect meals flooding your feed. At that point, the body is no longer the decision maker, but the algorithms that have reprogrammed your cravings. On the contrary, those who dare to &ldquo;quit&rdquo; social media are like removing the golden ring from their minds, so that hunger comes from within, not from the visual stimuli placed before their eyes.</p>

<div class="flex max-w-full flex-col flex-grow"><div data-message-author-role="assistant" data-message-id="d82c51c7-1013-494a-8ebf-c3d548c20a61" dir="auto" class="min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 whitespace-normal break-words text-start [.text-message+&amp;]:mt-5" data-message-model-slug="gpt-4o"><div class="flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[3px]"><div class="markdown prose w-full break-words dark:prose-invert light"><p data-start="0" data-end="51" class=""> <strong>Distorted self-image under the media lens</strong></p></div></div></div></div>

<p data-start="556" data-end="1194" class="" style="text-align: justify;">But cutting back on TikTok or quitting Facebook isn&rsquo;t just about escaping from food temptations. It&rsquo;s also about liberating your body and mind. A study published in <em data-start="716" data-end="751">Psychology</em> <span>of Popular Media (</span>2023) found that cutting your online time in half significantly increases your body satisfaction after just a few weeks. Feelings of self-consciousness, comparison pressure, and diet obsession all fade like an outdated filter. Interestingly, people who are no longer influenced by social media choose more sustainable ways to maintain their figure, instead of burning themselves out in harsh diets or exhausting workouts.</p>

<div class="flex max-w-full flex-col flex-grow">
<div data-message-author-role="assistant" data-message-id="de173836-b5ea-4e58-adaa-78560b29d429" dir="auto" class="min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 whitespace-normal break-words text-start [.text-message+&amp;]:mt-5" data-message-model-slug="gpt-4o">
<div class="flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[3px]">
<div class="markdown prose w-full break-words dark:prose-invert light">
<p data-start="0" data-end="393" class="" style="text-align: justify;">The surreal bodies and dramatic weight loss stories on social media are a one-way ticket to the realm of obsessive exhaustion. As our mindless swipes drag us into a vortex of gram-by-gram menus, we suddenly forget that our bodies are not a project with a deadline, but a planet to be understood.</p>
<p data-start="395" data-end="855" class="" style="text-align: justify;">Try stepping back from the virtual world, turning off the whispers of standards, and listening to your own rhythm. Hunger is not the enemy, eating is not a problem, and your body does not need to be &ldquo;fixed&rdquo; into any mould. When we stop comparing, we stop running away from ourselves. We learn to touch our bodies with respect and to nourish them with choices that are not based on fear, but on understanding and love.</p>
<p data-start="395" data-end="855" class="" style="text-align: justify;"><em>Photo: Pexels, emmstell, jannaaaaaeeee,</em></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

Feeding the Feed: How Social Media Is Shaping Our Taste Buds

Tags

Related Articles

Soul

Doomscrolling - Why do we keep scrolling through social media mindlessly?

Soul

Digital Detox: Why digital breaks are crucial for mental clarity

Food

Slow Food is more than a food trend

Recommended posts for you

Ibiza

The Precious Life

Ibiza

Ibiza, I’m Back

Ibiza

Missoni Ibiza – A New Chapter in Colour and Craft

Ibiza

A Signature Summer: Burberry Takes Over The Standard Ibiza

Ibiza

Summer Check

Ibiza

Where Everything Happens

Ibiza

Connected with Paradise

Ibiza

We Are the People