A new study has found that three-quarters of posts made by popular social media influencers include food and drinks that are not healthy. Whether parents want to admit it or not, social media is a big part of the lives of our children. Technology has a lot of benefits for youth, but there are also dangers that we need to be aware of. Things that can cause them to struggle with their mental health, and things that can be a negative influence on their lives. That is why it is so important that parents are aware of what is going on, and how they can intervene if they should need to.
According to Medical Xpress and UPI, a study was done that found that three-quarters of posts that are made by popular social media influencers are for unhealthy products. This exposes children and youth to content that could encourage them to eat, and drink, items that are not good for them.
This analysis was done by the European Association for the Study of Obesity, and it looked at influencers in Germany on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. It found that their posts were so unhealthy that they failed the WHO’s advertising standards for children.
- They looked at influencers that had a large base of fans who were between the ages of 13 and 17 years old. They looked at the meals, snacks, and drinks that made an appearance in their videos.
- What they found was that 75% of the featured foods and drinks were all high in salt, fat, and sugar, and ordinarily would not be allowed to be marketed toward children.
- The most common item was chocolate and sweets that were shown, and they were also not clearly labeled as “advertisements” but the influencer.
Children are influenced by what they see online. If they see their favorite influencer eating or drinking something, they are going to want to do it too. That is how the human brain works, but children’s brains are not developed enough to be able to resist urges.
Researchers state that there needs to be policies in place to help protect children from content like this. The concern is that it is going to be challenging to expect children to make healthy choices when all they see around them are unhealthy choices. Parents may need to take another close look at who their children are watching, and make sure they are being exposed to healthy options.
Sources: Medical Xpress, UPI