Researchers in China have been looking into how teenagers use short-form video platforms and whether that habit connects to how they feel about their bodies and their eating behaviors. Their findings show that students who spend more time watching these fast-moving clips often struggle with body dissatisfaction and are more likely to compare themselves to the people they see in the videos.
Short-form videos, usually lasting less than a minute, are common on apps like TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Snapchat Spotlight. These platforms hook viewers with quick, attention-grabbing content that’s heavily shaped by algorithms picking what to show next. Young people, in particular, are drawn to these spaces where influencers and brands push out non-stop streams of visual content.
Over time, these platforms have filled with images showing highly polished, often unrealistic body types. Many of these bodies are carefully selected or even digitally altered. As teenagers keep watching, they may find themselves regularly measuring their own bodies against these online versions of perfection. That habit can slowly erode their confidence and push some toward unhealthy eating as they try to change their appearance.
The research team wanted to explore whether this kind of content use might be tied to eating disorder symptoms in adolescents and whether boys and girls experience this connection in different ways. They surveyed students from three secondary schools in two Chinese cities. In October 2022, they gathered almost 800 completed questionnaires from students aged 10 to 18. On average, the students were about 15 years old, and girls made up just over half the group.
The survey asked about signs of disordered eating, how often students used short-form video apps, whether they compared their own bodies to the ones in the videos, and how they felt about their physical appearance. The results showed that girls typically reported stronger eating disorder symptoms. They also seemed more likely to compare themselves to the bodies they saw in the videos and to feel unhappy with their own appearance.
Across all the students, those who spent more time using short-form video platforms were more likely to show signs of eating disorders, compare themselves to others more often, and feel less satisfied with their bodies. About nine percent of the participants admitted to unhealthy eating habits, suggesting they could be at risk of developing eating disorders over time.
When looking deeper, the researchers noticed that boys who used these platforms more frequently often reported growing discomfort with their bodies. That discomfort seemed to raise their risk of eating problems. For girls, the connection worked a little differently. Girls who spent more time watching these videos appeared to develop a stronger habit of comparing their bodies to others, which then fed into higher dissatisfaction and greater eating disorder risks.
The study helps highlight a possible link between the way short-form video platforms are used and the way teenagers feel about their bodies and eating habits. Still, because of how the study was designed, it can’t prove for certain whether the videos cause these issues or if other factors are also at play.
This research was conducted by Liheng Fan, Yuchen Zhu, and Ke Yang, and it was published in Psychological Reports.
Image: DIW-Aigen
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Short-form videos, usually lasting less than a minute, are common on apps like TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Snapchat Spotlight. These platforms hook viewers with quick, attention-grabbing content that’s heavily shaped by algorithms picking what to show next. Young people, in particular, are drawn to these spaces where influencers and brands push out non-stop streams of visual content.
Over time, these platforms have filled with images showing highly polished, often unrealistic body types. Many of these bodies are carefully selected or even digitally altered. As teenagers keep watching, they may find themselves regularly measuring their own bodies against these online versions of perfection. That habit can slowly erode their confidence and push some toward unhealthy eating as they try to change their appearance.
The research team wanted to explore whether this kind of content use might be tied to eating disorder symptoms in adolescents and whether boys and girls experience this connection in different ways. They surveyed students from three secondary schools in two Chinese cities. In October 2022, they gathered almost 800 completed questionnaires from students aged 10 to 18. On average, the students were about 15 years old, and girls made up just over half the group.
The survey asked about signs of disordered eating, how often students used short-form video apps, whether they compared their own bodies to the ones in the videos, and how they felt about their physical appearance. The results showed that girls typically reported stronger eating disorder symptoms. They also seemed more likely to compare themselves to the bodies they saw in the videos and to feel unhappy with their own appearance.
Across all the students, those who spent more time using short-form video platforms were more likely to show signs of eating disorders, compare themselves to others more often, and feel less satisfied with their bodies. About nine percent of the participants admitted to unhealthy eating habits, suggesting they could be at risk of developing eating disorders over time.
When looking deeper, the researchers noticed that boys who used these platforms more frequently often reported growing discomfort with their bodies. That discomfort seemed to raise their risk of eating problems. For girls, the connection worked a little differently. Girls who spent more time watching these videos appeared to develop a stronger habit of comparing their bodies to others, which then fed into higher dissatisfaction and greater eating disorder risks.
The study helps highlight a possible link between the way short-form video platforms are used and the way teenagers feel about their bodies and eating habits. Still, because of how the study was designed, it can’t prove for certain whether the videos cause these issues or if other factors are also at play.
This research was conducted by Liheng Fan, Yuchen Zhu, and Ke Yang, and it was published in Psychological Reports.
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