Social media use, eating disorders and recovery
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Social media use, eating disorders and recovery
IRAS ID
233022
Contact name
Jennifer Beardwood
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Canterbury Christ Church University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 3 months, 0 days
Research summary
This study will explore experiences of using social media in people with eating disorders who are working towards recovery.
There is a wealth of research on the use of online websites in eating disorders, with the literature tending to focus on how online connections maintain disordered eating behaviours rather than supporting recovery (e.g. Riley et al., 2009). Websites often referred to as ‘pro-ana’ are seen to promote the view that eating disorders are a lifestyle choice and promote a positive view of the illness (Dias, 2013), and can encourage unhealthy social influence (Giles, 2006). In contrast to pro-ana websites, there are also recovery-oriented websites which focus on supporting people with eating disorders in their recovery. McNamara and Parsons (2016) illustrated that participation in an online eating disorder support group can promote recovery through the construction of a shared recovery identity, with online group support perceived to be more effective than that found outside the group.
Social media platforms are a form of online communication and have become increasingly popular in the eating disorder community. Due to the large number of public accounts, these platforms often merge pro-ana and pro-recovery images and discourses in the same space, and provide users with instant communication and feedback in the form of likes and comments (Ging & Garvery, 2017). In non-clinical samples, research has shown both positive (e.g. increasing opportunities for social support (Markstrom, 2011)) and negative (e.g. through negative comparisons to others (Holland and Tiggemann, 2016)) effects of social media use. However, there is little research on how social media platforms influence people with eating disorders and their recovery. The proposed project aims to explore the experience of using social media from the perspective of individuals with eating disorders who classify themselves as ‘working towards recovery’, and how this helps and/or hinders their recovery journey.
REC name
London - Chelsea Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/1928
Date of REC Opinion
19 Jan 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion