Summary
TikTok has banned the hashtag #SkinnyTok due to concerns about promoting unhealthy body images and extreme weight loss. However, unhealthy eating advice still appears frequently on TikTok and other social media platforms, posing risks to users, particularly young women and girls.
Key Facts
- TikTok banned the hashtag #SkinnyTok after warnings from European regulators about its harmful content.
- The banned hashtag was linked to content encouraging extreme weight loss and unhealthy body images.
- Research links exposure to such content with an increased risk of disordered eating.
- Young women and girls are particularly vulnerable to this type of content.
- Regulating harmful content on social media is challenging because users find ways to bypass restrictions.
- Some social media creators promote body-positive content to counter harmful messages.
- Research indicates that messaging equating thinness with beauty remains widely influential in society.
- Body-positive content does not attract the same large audiences as content that promotes unrealistic body standards.
