Psychologists seeing 'significant increases' in young people with eating disorders linked to social media

'If you ask about dietary stuff, you're going to eventually to see bulimic and anorexic content. And it's the repetition and the constant, ever-flowing matters that leads to things like radicalisation.'

Psychologists are seeing significant increases in the number of young people, especially young women, presenting with eating disorders, linked to the online world and the "perception of not being good enough". 

The Oireachtas Committee on Children and Equality met with children's rights advocates on Thursday to continue its discussions on the regulation of children’s online safety.

A "blanket ban" restricting the use of social media for those under the age of 16 was described as a "blunt instrument" by several of the attendees, who advocated instead for a "multi-pronged" approach through support for parents, education, legislation, and more research. 

In a submission to the committee, the Psychological Society of Ireland cautioned against “overly rigid or automated approaches to online safety".

“Blanket content removal and AI-driven moderation can unintentionally block legitimate help seeking and recovery-focused content, weaken peer support networks, and silence recovery stories," it said.

There is also a risk that overly restrictive approaches may push vulnerable young people towards less visible and less regulated online spaces, while focusing on symptoms rather than the underlying causes of distress.

When asked if there was a link between increased referrals to child and adolescent mental health services, the "online world" and AI-driven content, psychologist Mark Smyth said there had also been an increase in public awareness and a reduction in stigma around eating disorders and mental health conditions.

"Certainly what we've been seeing, or what I've been seeing anyway, is a significant increase in the rates of young people presenting with eating disorders. 

"The team I work on, we used to maybe get one or two a year. Now we're getting somewhere between 30 to 40. So there's definitely, particularly with young women, a massive increase in their perception of not being good enough.

"That's where AI is going to have a role in this too. We don't have the research yet to back it up, but anecdotally, they are going in and saying 'if I looked like this' with a presumption that they would be happier."

"But once they start to get into it, it's very difficult for them to pull it back. 

So yes, we are seeing more, but there's also consistency of anxiety. Kids are anxious. They're worried, they're scared, and again, AI plays a role because they are going in and they're seeking reassurance, but they're also seeking connection.

While many young people are wise enough to spot when an image has been filtered, “they are doing it themselves", he added. 

Mick Moran, chief executive of the reporting centre for illegal online content, Hotline.ie, told the committee there needed to be transparency around the algorithms used by social media platforms. 

"Dr Mary Aiken makes a very good point in talking all the time about how algorithms push to the edge constantly," he said. 

"So if you ask about dietary stuff, you're going to eventually to see bulimic and anorexic content. And it's the repetition and the constant, ever-flowing matters that leads to things like radicalisation."