Social Media Use Linked to Teen Ultra-Processed Food Consumption: Study

Teens with problematic social media use were 54% less likely to report having healthy eating habits compared to their peers.

New research shows that teenagers with problematic social media use tend to eat fewer fruits and vegetables, and consume more sugary snacks and drinks than their peers.

The findings were published in the journal Pediatric Research on April 7, indicating that problematic social media use could be linked to the consumption of a greater amount of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) by teens.

Ultra-processed foods are generally composed of five or more industrial ingredients, including artificial flavors, colors and preservatives. While these additives can improve taste and convenience, they provide little to no nutritional benefit.

Prior studies have found a strong association between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and a higher risk of type 2 diabetes among children, along with other problems such as sleep disorders, respiratory issues and depression. In addition, ultra-processed foods have been linked to cardiovascular problems, including heart attacks and heart failure.

As a result of these findings, many families have begun pursuing ultra-processed food lawsuits against the food industry, alleging these companies intentionally promoted ultra-processed foods to children, despite their known health risks.

In the new study, a research team from The University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia and The Chinese University of Hong Kong in Hong Kong, China, examined data from the 2017-2018 Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children survey, which is a health and wellbeing survey of teenagers from 45 countries across North America and Europe. The average age of participants was 13 years old, and 50.8% were girls.

The study, led by Asaduzzaman Khan, analyzed how often teens reported eating fruits, vegetables, sweets and sugary drinks, with response options ranging from “never” to “once a day.” Researchers also asked participants how frequently they communicated with close friends, larger friend groups or online contacts through social media platforms.

Using the European Union Kids Online Survey as a framework, participants were categorized as either excessive or non-excessive social media users. Those identified as excessive users were further divided into two groups: problematic users, who showed signs of unhealthy social media habits, and non-problematic users, who used social media frequently but without negative effects.

The findings showed that problematic social media use was linked to poorer dietary habits. Teens in this group reported eating fewer fruits and vegetables while consuming more sugary, ultra-processed snacks and drinks. Specifically, boys with problematic social media use were 54% less likely to report a healthy diet, while girls had 64% lower odds of maintaining good dietary habits.

However, teens who used social media extensively, but without problematic behavior showed a mixed pattern, finding that they consumed more fruits and vegetables, but also reported higher intake of sugary foods and beverages throughout the day.

“Emerging evidence highlights the critical role of nutrition knowledge and literacy in shaping adolescents’ dietary behaviours, particularly as they view food-related content on social media platforms,” Khan determined. “Our findings suggest that nutrition literacy may differentially influence problematic and excessive (social media use), with distinct dietary outcomes.”

Teenage Social Media Addiction

As evidence continues to mount that links problematic social media use to social anxieties and other adverse health consequences among teenagers and adults, more than 1,500 social media lawsuits have also been filed against major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, each accusing the companies of designing algorithms that foster excessive engagement and contribute to addictive behavior.

Plaintiffs argue that these design strategies have caused significant mental health problems for children and teens, including compulsive usage, eating disorders, anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicide and exposure to child sexual exploitation.

As the number of claims filed have grown significantly over the last several years, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) ordered that all social media addiction lawsuits be consolidated in the Northern District of California, under U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, for coordinated pretrial proceedings in October 2022.

While the lawsuits were met with sharp opposition from the platform manufacturers, who challenged the legal basis for holding them liable for user behavior and content on their platforms, Judge Rogers issued an order last month clearing the majority of social media addiction lawsuits to move forward, allowing general negligence and wrongful death claims to proceed against companies like Meta, TikTok and others.