Abstract 

This paper explores the impact of TikTok on body image, eating habits, and self-esteem among young women. It argues that while TikTok provides a platform for body positivity and empowerment, it also amplifies negative body image and promotes unhealthy lifestyle habits. The paper examines TikTok’s role in perpetuating unrealistic beauty standards, diet culture, and harmful trends. It discusses the influence of TikTok’s algorithm, user-generated content, and trends on shaping perceptions of beauty and self-worth. Through case studies and evidence from studies, it demonstrates how exposure to certain content on TikTok leads to heightened body dysmorphia, disordered eating, and low self-esteem among users. The essay concludes by highlighting the need for awareness of the detrimental effects of excessive engagement with TikTok and calls for a critical examination of social media’s impact on mental health and well-being.

TikTok is a social media platform, released in 2016 its usage skyrocketed during 2020 following the Covid 19 lockdowns. It allows users to create videos, slideshows and now stories and upload them. The app features a “for you” page in which videos are recommended on one’s feed based on previous interactions. (Eight clients 2024). TikTok has become an evolutionary way that humans now use to communicate and share information. With over 1.8 billion active users every month, 54% of them being women. (Aslam 2024). Topics on TikTok differ from other platforms due to its variety, from dance videos to food reviews, the app has no limits when it comes to content. One topic heavily posted on TikTok is weight loss and eating related content, from diets and recipes to ed recovery. (Wang et al., 2022). Many users, particularly female share their body transformations, what I eat in a day, exercise routines, even simple outfit videos that show their body. As well as rising trends all featuring image-based content. This appearance idealistic content is unattainable and puts pressure on females to change their appearance based on societies standards. (Fardouly 2023). As well as being unrealistic. Social media is a highlight reel, with users selecting the best most attractive content of themselves to post. (Shafie et al., 2012, Siibak, 2009). TikTok’s viral trends and challenges are centrally characterised by frequently portrayed appearance ideals (Statista, 2022). For those who do not fit these ideals it can be damaging to their self-esteem and mental health. Constantly viewing content that evokes negative discomfort will affect how you see yourself. (Heger 2022). Whilst TikTok has tried to allowed women to create a safe space and empower each other, the glorified exposure to this content on the app has heightened body dysmorphia and insecurities among young women online leading us to question the impact TikTok has on disordered eating and shame.

 

TikTok as a platform has amplified the way women can express their opinions and talk via social media. TikTok allows for information to be shared rapidly due to its ‘for you’ page, with many small content creators going “viral” from the easily consumable videos within the app. As well as everyday people sharing their experiences, information and social issues becoming amplified on the app. Ocallaghan’s article published on the Medium (2023) argued that TikTok opens up a dialogue and safe space for women to feel a sense of belonging. That females can use TikTok to redefine the beauty standards put on them from society, break down stereotypes and motivate other women to promote the unique qualities one may have. Women sharing their bodies, experiences and emotions can help others who may be experiencing the same thing and provide support and comfort within the online community. A study conducted by Jurnal Ilmu and Komunikasi Dan Media found that TikTok also serves as a platform for body positivity and acceptance movements. Users can actively challenge social norms and lift body positivity. Users can share and engage in this content which can help normalize different body types and promote self-love. As well as offering different avenues of beauty other than just physical beauty.  

 

Body positivity content can help women feel a sense of belonging and create positive attitudes on one’s body if shown on a TikTok feed. Body positivity is a form of content that aims to challenge idealistic beauty standards and share appreciation for different body types or features that could normally be looked down upon. (Cohen 2019). Exposure to this content helps to redefine beauty standards and elevate self-esteem among women. A study selected women between 18-30 years old. They were randomly allocated to view a different category of content. Results found that the women who viewed body positive posts had an increased positive mood, body satisfaction and body appreciation for themselves. A similar study was also conducted regarding body neutrality content. Which aims to encourage body function over appearance and a non-judgmental attitude. (Seekis & Lawrence 2023). Those exposed to body neutrality content had recorded higher levels of mood and fewer comparisons of appearance compared to those shown thin ideal videos. The issue is that the overwhelming majority of TikTok trends and videos do not always promote body positivity and it can be impossible to avoid all the negative content. Positive content can help women with their body image however it is overruled but the excessive amount of negative content on TikTok. With its short style videos the app is easily consumable and has detrimental impacts.

 

TikTok as a social media platform has increasingly promoted diet culture and unhealthy lifestyle habits for young women leading to increased body dysmorphia and low self-esteem. Diet culture is a system of beliefs that idolizes the idea of being thin over being healthy. It promotes weight loss through physical beauty standards attaining a higher placement within society. This oppresses people who do not align with the ideal body and can be detrimental to people of colour, transgenders, people with larger bodies. (Harrison 2018). TikTok is dangerously exposing more young adults to diet culture. Through its user generated content, and trends. The main difference between TikTok and other social media is its For you page. Tailored to everyone, TikTok generates recommended videos based on your previous interactions within the app, without you needing to follow the creator of the video. If a user is constantly engaging in weight loss or diet culture videos TikTok provides more similar content to keep that user engaged no matter how damaging the content may be. TikTok popular hashtags of #diet #weightloss #fatloss have generated billions of views on the app. These hashtags adhere to the thin ideal body. Which include, exposing users to extreme eating habits, weight loss goals and exercise habits. (Pope & Minadeo 2022). A study conducted by Noam Raiter, Renata Husnudinov, Kaitlyn Mazza and Larkin Lamarche found that even the use of #healthylifestyle on TikTok had damaging content. Out of the videos using #healthylifestyle 38% were about losing weight/fat, 24% objectification, 16% about diet/specific eating messages. Only 10% of these videos were deemed body positive. Main videos contained messages of restrictive eating, negative body image and excessive exercise. Videos also feature the glorification of weight loss which elevates the belief that weight is an indicator of health and self-worth. Through users posted weight loss videos telling viewers they feel “happier” and it was to “better themselves.” (Mindaeo & Pope 2022) The high exposure to this content increases the risk of disordered eating and negative body image. (Mink and Szymanski, 2022). The sociocultural theory proposes that the unrealistic beauty standards exploited by the media encourage the internalization of these standards and for women to engage in active comparison. (Holland & Tigermann 2016).

 

The increased amount of what I eat in a day videos on TikTok have significantly changed the amount of negative body image and disordered eating among women. What I eat in a day is among one of the dangerous trends on TikTok. It follows users showing viewers what they eat through a 60 second video, generally starting with a clip of the creator’s body. Insinuating that if they follow their eating habits, they can have a body like the creator. Some videos posted have women consuming less than 900 calories each day which is significantly less than the 2000 calorie recommendation. (Guald 2020). The #whatieatinaday has generated 17.6 billion views. (Petter 2023). A critical analysis of What I eat in a day found that there was emphasis on weight loss as a benefit of cutting out animal products. (Braun & Carruthers, 2020). These videos can create shame and guilt for those who do not follow a similar diet or consume more calories than the creator. It also creates an internalized belief that users can generate their ideal body if they stick to a strict diet. The viewing of these videos can also cause appearance dissatisfaction and low self-esteem, due to internalized comparison that viewers can make to the users. Appearance dissatisfaction occurs when views of the body are negative and there is a clear difference between ones appearance and their ideal appearance. (Grogan, 2008). This has many negative outcomes such as depression and eating disorders. (Bornioli et al., 2021). Claire Mysko the CEO of National Eating Disorders Association has stated that TikTok users have voiced their concerns about the app blurring the lines between eating disorders and fitness. (Kaufman 2020). As well as the content driving users to comment their feelings about themselves often negatively, causing “fat talk.” (Mills 2016). Exposure to this content leads people to set unrealistic ideals of themselves and their eating and may feel distressed when those ideals aren’t able to be met. (Heger 2022).

 

TikTok trends and filters play a large role in shaping content within the app. Appearance ideal features on social media platforms such as TikTok often get manipulated through enhancement or editing, filters. (Choi & Behm-Morawitz, 2018). This makes the content even more unrealistic and unachievable. One large issue with certain trends on TikTok is that they heighten Eurocentric beauty standards. Examples of this include the side profile trend in which people turn to the side in their videos to show off their side profile, normally with thin upturned noses adhering to the western beauty standard of having a button nose. Another trend is jawline checks where users show off their jawline, having a sharp jawline being more ideal which can lead to body shaming for people with larger faces. Filters such as Glow Filter which makes everyone have big blue eyes, tanned skin, thinner nose and larger lips and smooth skin is a prime example. These filters heighten western beauty standards and can be extremely hurtful for those who do not have those idealistic features. Women of colour for example many cultures have different shaped noses, different skin tones, smaller eyes, different eye shapes. These cultures should be celebrated but instead their distinctive features are being shamed. Women on social media will see idealized features of their others and compare themselves with these idealistic standards. (Manago, Graham, Greenfield, & Salimkhan, 2008). Researchers at Griffith university tested their theory by exposing one group of women to image centric beauty content on TikTok, and another group to self-compassion videos. After just seven minutes the group watching the image centric beauty content felt appearance shame, appearance anxiety and low mood. (Bernard 2022). Exposure to this kind of content can lead to harmful comparison and shame within ones appearance. As well as the constant new trends that start on TikTok mostly being appearance based, it highlights new insecurities that many females may not have once noticed before the trend. Trends include, hourglass trend, back profile trend, thigh gap, symmetrical face sticker.

 

The heightened use of social media networks in recent years have negatively impacted young women. Specifically, the use of TikTok. The global social media platform has increased the amount of comparison, appearance shame and anxiety within young women which has led to low self-esteem, disordered eating, and poor body image. Through the apps user generated content, for you page and short easily consumable videos. The active trends, hashtags, and filters prominent on the app introduce women to new insecurities and poor lifestyle patterns. Idealistic beauty standards are placed on a pedestal with users comparing themselves to what they get exposed to. Whether this is an exercise video, beauty content or diet. The effects are detrimental, and more people need to be aware of the consequences of excessive engagement with the app.

 

References 

 

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