Contemporary screen use and symptoms of muscle dysmorphia among a national sample of Canadian adolescents and young adults

Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-023-01550-7 (2023) 28:10 BRIEF REPORT Contemporary screen use and symptoms of muscle dysmorphia among a national sample of Canadian adolescents and young adults Kyle T. Ganson1 · Laura Hallward2 · Rachel F. Rodgers3,4 · Alexander Testa5 · Dylan B. Jackson6 · Jason M. Nagata7 Received: 2 September 2022 / Accepted: 2 February 2023 © The Author(s) 2023 Abstract Purpose Screen time has been previously linked to body dissatisfaction and eating disorder behaviors. However, less is known about whether use of common forms of screen technology is associated with symptoms of muscle dysmorphia (MD), which was the aim of this study. Methods Data from the Canadian Study of Adolescent Health Behaviors (N = 2538) were analyzed. Associations between hours of use of six contemporary forms of recreational screen time, as well as total screen time, and symptoms of MD were determined using multiple linear regression models, stratified by gender, and adjusting for potential confounders. Results Among both men and women, greater total screen time and texting were associated with greater symptoms of MD; however, differences emerged across the screen time modalities by gender. Among women, video chatting was most strongly associated with symptoms of MD, while social media use was most strongly associated with symptoms of MD among men. Conclusion Findings add to the growing literature documenting the potentially harmful correlates of screen time by including MD symptomatology. Findings have important implications for health care, public health, and policymaking professionals. Level of evidence Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study. Keywords Screen time · Social media · Muscle dysmorphia · Adolescents · Young adults · Canada Introduction * Kyle T. Ganson 1 Factor‑Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, 246 Bloor Street W, Toronto, ON M5S 1V4, Canada 2 School of Kinesiology, Western University, London, ON, Canada 3 Department of Applied Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA 4 Department of Psychiatric Emergency & Acute Care, Lapeyronie Hospital, Montpellier, France 5 Department of Management, Policy and Community Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA 6 Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA 7 Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA The use of screens and social media is high among adolescents and young adults [1, 2], and time spent on screens has significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic [3]. Many adolescents and young adults use screens and social media as tools for social connection; however, screen time and social media use may create adverse psychological, emotional, and social impacts [4, 5]. Research has documented that greater time spent on screens and social media was associated with depression, anxiety, physical inactivity, higher body mass index (BMI), poor body image, and eating disorders [5–9]. A robust body of research has documented strong associations between screen time, social media use, and poor body image, which can lead to behaviors aimed at changing weight and/or appearance [9–12]. These relationships align with theoretical models of eating disorders. For example, the Tripartite Influence Model describes how parents, peers, and media—including social media—can precipitate the development of body dissatisfaction and traditional eating disorder behaviors (i.e., restricting, binging, purging) due to the 13 Vol.:(0123456789) 10 Page 2 of 7 Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity internalization of body ideals and social pressures [13, 14]. This same model has also been used to examine the development of muscle dissatisfaction and muscularity-oriented behaviors, particularly among boys and men [15–17], and in relation to screen time and social media use [12, 18]. The effects of social media use on body image and eating disorder behaviors can be exacerbated by the algorithms used by social media companies, as highlighted in recent high profile media stories [19, 20]. These algorithms create “rabbit holes”, whereby individual users see more of the content that they engage with, either actively via following specific accounts or “liking” content, or passively via spending longer time on photos/videos. This may ultimately perpetuate the unrealistic body ideals, which are commonly posted on social media [21–23], and precipitate attempts to change one’s body [8]. Alternatively, prior research has documented the negative body image effects of taking and posting “selfies” on social media [24, 25], as well as appearance concerns related to use of video chatting platforms (i.e., Zoom) [26, 27]. Along with the potential negative effects of social media use previously outlined, greater time on screens may displace physical activity given the inactive nature of many forms of screen time (i.e., watching TV or videos) [28]. Lower physical inactivity may also increase body dissatisfaction due to potential weight gain or mindless eating that can occur during this time [6, 29]. Additionally, it has been posited that engagement with screens and social media, such as watching videos on YouTube or following influencers on social media, may be mechanisms to learn about specific exercise and eating regimens to strive for specific gendered body ideals [30]. To date, however, much of the research on screen time and social media use has focused on efforts to lose weight, such as dieting [9, 11, 31]. This has left a significant gap in our knowledge on the associations between specific screen time and social media use modalities and muscularity-oriented body concerns and behaviors. One recent study showed that screen time and social media use were not associated with, or protective of, muscle-building behaviors (i.e., changing eating, exercising more, or use of protein powders all in an attempt to increase muscle mass) among both men and women [32]. Conversely, an additional study among adolescent boys and girls found relationships between greater social media use and higher muscular ideal internalization and muscle-building behaviors [33]. However, more research is needed to fully understand the potential associations between screen time and social media use and symptoms of muscle dysmorphia (MD), which is characterized as the pathological pursuit of muscularity [34, 35]. MD is largely understudied in large community samples, including understanding social correlates of MD symptoms, and is more common among men than 13 (2023) 28:10 women [36]. Given the significant research attention on the relationships between screen time and social media use and thinness-oriented body dissatisfaction and eating disorder be (...truncated)