Impact of social networks on the perception of body image in adolescents: a qualitative study

Resumo

The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature on the impact of social media on body image and its relationship with eating disorders in Latin American university students. Twenty articles published in scientific journals indexed in Scielo and Latindex were selected, and their methodologies, results, and conclusions were analyzed. The included studies revealed that the use of social media can have a negative influence on the perception of body image and the development of eating disorders in Latin American university students. Moreover, it was found that women are more likely to be affected by these issues. The practical implications of these findings suggest the need to promote education on responsible social media use and to foster the development of a positive and healthy body image in Latin American university students. Future challenges include conducting more research on this topic with larger and more representative samples of the population. Possible limitations include the lack of studies in some Latin American countries and the heterogeneity of the methodologies used in the included studies.