Euphoria, the dark side of fitness on social media. New study raises alarm: ‘Risks of harming mental health, especially young women’

A new study sets an alarm for a phenomenon fit Popular on social media: Instead of improving people’s health and well-being, they risk feeding the narcissistic side of influencers, harming the mental health of followers, especially young women. This is supported by an analysis by the Department of Sports Science at Malmö University, Sweden. hashtag # Thoughts still solid Trending topic on Instagram and Tik Tok in charts around the world. The phenomenon that has been on the Internet for quite some time, Sports influencers generally see sharing images of exercises to increase strength and muscle and motivate others To follow in their footsteps and improve themselves. Fitness and workout photos posted on social media with hashtags like “fitspiration” should inspire others to exercise, but in reality, It can have the opposite effectThe study, published in the journal, says: Physical culture and sports studies and research.

according to Aurelin Dowdy, sports science researcherMalmö University in Sweden As the first author, these women fall into the narcissistic trap where they are pushed to exercise only by wanting the approval of others. Moreover, image-based social media platforms such as Instagram have an inherent logic of “reification,” the researcher continues. “Represent yourself completely through the picture It is actually impossibleDaoudi continues that it is not possible to capture all that you are as a person through a photograph. Within this culture, c“It is a great emphasis on a well-trained, attractive and sexy body”.

But the posts generated by this photo are ‘sexy’Built can cause psychological distress to other women who compare He added to their vibrant bodies with these perfect versions. According to the expert, the desired result will then turn out to be the exact opposite “Looking at pictures and participating in this physical improvement training is actually related to Deterioration of body image, general self-perception, and mental well-being“Inspiration embodies the essence of the problematic aspect of social media,” he added. “In pursuit of perfection, nA narcissistic need for verification arises that cannot be satisfiedAnd the consequences can be mental illness and disfiguring the body, says Daoudi.