Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy.
Psychologist-Operator at Vivere Verde Onlus, Roma, Italy.
J Med Internet Res. 2024 Jul 2;26:e53334. doi: 10.2196/53334.
The patient-centered approach is essential for quality health care and patient safety. Understanding the service user's perspective on the factors maintaining the health problem is crucial for successful treatment, especially for patients who do not recognize their condition as clinically relevant or concerning. Despite the association between intensive use of visual social media and body dissatisfaction and eating disorders, little is known about the meanings users assign to posting or searching for edited photos and the strategies they use to protect themselves from digital risks.
This study aims to examine how young women recovering from eating disorders in Northern Italy perceive the health risks and potential benefits associated with visual social networks (ie, Instagram and Snapchat). The literature has found these platforms to be detrimental to online body comparisons. It also explores the perceived usefulness, willingness, and personal interest in coconstructing social media literacy programs with girls recovering from eating disorders.
A total of 30 semistructured interviews were conducted with adolescent girls aged 14-17 years at the end of their treatment for eating disorders. The following areas of research were addressed: (1) the meanings associated with the use of Instagram and Snapchat; (2) the investment in the photographic dimension and feedback; (3) the impact of visual social networks on body experiences; (4) the potential and risks perceived in their use; (5) the importance of supporting girls undergoing treatment for eating disorders in using social networks; and (6) the usefulness and willingness to co-design social network literacy programs. Content analysis was applied.
A total of 7 main contents emerged: active or passive role in using social networks, the impact of online interactions on body image, investment in the photographic dimension, effects on self-representation, perceived risks, self-protective strategies, and potential benefits. The findings highlight a strong awareness of the processes that trigger body comparisons in the virtual context, creating insecurity and worsening the relationship with oneself. The self-protective behaviors identified are the development of critical thinking, the avoidance of sensitive content, increased control over social networking site use, and a certain skepticism toward developing antagonistic ideologies. All these topics were considered fundamental.
The findings provide important insights for health professionals working with youth in preparing media literacy programs. These programs aim to reduce potential risks and amplify the positive effects of online resources. They underscore the importance of addressing this issue during hospitalization to develop skills and critical thinking aimed at changing small habits that perpetuate the problem in everyday life. The inherent limitations in current service practices, which may not adequately address individual needs or impact posttreatment life, must also be considered.
以患者为中心的方法对于医疗保健质量和患者安全至关重要。了解服务使用者对维持健康问题的因素的看法对于成功治疗至关重要，特别是对于那些不认为自己的病情具有临床相关性或令人担忧的患者。尽管人们已经认识到过度使用视觉社交媒体与身体不满和饮食失调之间存在关联，但对于用户赋予发布或搜索编辑照片的意义以及他们用于保护自己免受数字风险的策略，人们知之甚少。
本研究旨在探讨意大利北部正在康复的饮食失调的年轻女性如何看待与视觉社交网络（即 Instagram 和 Snapchat）相关的健康风险和潜在益处。文献发现这些平台不利于在线身体比较。它还探讨了与正在康复的饮食失调的女孩共同构建社交媒体素养计划的感知有用性、意愿和个人兴趣。
对 30 名 14-17 岁正在接受饮食失调治疗的青少年女孩进行了半结构化访谈。研究的重点是：（1）与使用 Instagram 和 Snapchat 相关的意义；（2）对摄影维度和反馈的投入；（3）视觉社交网络对身体体验的影响；（4）在使用中感知到的潜力和风险；（5）支持正在接受饮食失调治疗的女孩使用社交网络的重要性；（6）共同设计社交网络素养计划的有用性和意愿。应用了内容分析法。
共出现 7 个主要内容：使用社交网络的主动或被动角色、在线互动对身体形象的影响、对摄影维度的投入、对自我表现的影响、感知风险、自我保护策略和潜在益处。研究结果强调了对在虚拟环境中引发身体比较的过程的强烈认识，这些过程会引发不安全感并恶化与自我的关系。确定的自我保护行为包括发展批判性思维、避免敏感内容、增强对社交网络使用的控制以及对发展对抗性意识形态持一定的怀疑态度。所有这些主题都被认为是至关重要的。
研究结果为与年轻人一起工作的卫生专业人员提供了制定媒体素养计划的重要见解。这些计划旨在降低潜在风险并放大在线资源的积极影响。它们强调了在住院期间解决这个问题的重要性，以便培养旨在改变日常生活中延续问题的小习惯的技能和批判性思维。还必须考虑当前服务实践中的固有局限性，这些实践可能无法充分满足个人需求或影响治疗后生活。
