Filtered Ideals and Real Consequences: Social Media Exposure, Body Image Concerns, and Eating Attitudes in Generation Z

Abstract

The estimated number of Generation Z is about 64 million members of this cohort (Musawer, 2025). Generation Z is the most connected generation with more than 46.3 per cent of adults accessing social media. This paper seeks to explore the connection between social media use, body image, and eating attitudes in Generation Z based on the inescapable nature of the various social media platforms and uses the data of 750 participants aged 13 to 22 to investigate the impacts of digital platforms on perception of body image and eating disorders behaviors. Regression analysis demonstrated that the use of social media was significantly predictive of eating attitudes. The findings reinforce the importance of social media use in driving the issues of body image and affecting eating attitudes among the members of Generation Z, which supports the need to implement specific interventions that will focus on the mental health consequences of engaging with digital platforms.