Health

A social media break could be good for a woman's body image, study says

By Mallika Marshall, MD

May 2, 2024 / 5:44 PM EDT / CBS Boston

BOSTON - Taking a break from social media could have a huge impact on a woman's body image.

Researchers at York University recruited 66 female college students and had half of them continue their social media use as usual, while the others were told to avoid Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and other platforms for one week.

They found that the women who stopped using social media had a significant boost in self-esteem and body image. Perhaps because those women spent less time comparing themselves to others or replaced their social media use with healthier behaviors, like sleeping, exercising, or socializing with friends.

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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