Latest news with #Vejar
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
TikTok Bans #SkinnyTok, But Experts Say More Is Needed
TikTok recently announced that it blocked search results for the hashtag #SkinnyTok due to its association with unhealthy weight loss content. The ban occurred after several European policymakers began investigating the app's impact on youth mental health. In the U.S., eating disorder experts say the ban is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done to stop the glamorization of weight loss. "It will help by making a statement," says Stephanie Michele, an intuitive eating coach and co-host of the podcast Life After Diets. "When bigger systems call out a social trend as harmful, and change their rules around how that trend is available, it sends a message. It's a short-term win." The issue, says Michele, is that this type of content is likely to reappear under a different hashtag. "The root issues like systemic fatphobia, beauty privilege, and social media algorithms that reward thinness still need to be addressed," she says. Banning a hashtag seems like a step in the right direction, says Cynthia Vejar, PhD, the director and associate professor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Lebanon Valley College. "It shows that platforms are trying to take some responsibility for the kind of content they allow and promote. Removing this specific tag may minimize how easily users can engage with triggering or harmful content." Still, Vejar cautions that bans can backfire since there's a natural human tendency to be curious about what's off-limits. "Bans can unintentionally make something more appealing just because it's taboo. Especially online, internet users can code [their] language and create secret communities to sidestep bans.""A once-banned term gets replaced by another. It might be #fitspo this week and #almondmomcore the next. What [isn't changing] is the underlying value system—that thinness equals worth. Until that changes, the harmful messaging will keep popping up under different names."Even without #SkinnyTok, Vejar explains that they may use different spellings, new hashtags, or code words. Moreover, this ban scratches the surface of a much bigger issue: TikTok's algorithm doesn't rely on hashtags alone. According to Michele, if someone engages with body-centric content once, they're often fed more of it, whether the label is banned or not. So, teens may still be seeing harmful messaging about weight and body types. "Language evolves quickly in these online spaces," says Michele. "A once-banned term gets replaced by another. It might be #fitspo this week and #almondmomcore the next. What [isn't changing] is the underlying value system—that thinness equals worth. Until that changes, the harmful messaging will keep popping up under different names." Social media didn't invent body image issues, but it absolutely amplifies them, says Michele. "It can be especially dangerous when it reinforces a false sense of virtue, like when restrictive eating or compulsive exercise is framed as 'wellness' or 'discipline.' That kind of content is everywhere, and it gets disguised as empowerment." Disordered eating is also easy to disguise, says Alyson Curtis, LMHC, a licensed therapist specializing in eating disorders, binge eating, emotional eating, and body image concerns. "You've got young people, influencers, and [other people] promoting low-calorie 'WIEIAD' (what I eat in a day) videos, or boasting about losing X amount of weight in X amount of time, and the content all flies under the radar. " According to Curtis, this happens because the definition of disordered eating isn't widely established, creating an uphill battle for professionals to spread correct information. "We're up against industries that not only want, but need, a new generation of young [people] to become obsessed with how they look, with feeling inferior, so that they become lifetime buyers of their products." While most experts agree that the #SkinnyTok ban is a step in the right direction, they say much more needs to be done. To start, Michele says platforms like TikTok need to take more responsibility for the content their algorithms push. Once someone has viewed enough weight loss content, or #SkinnyTok posts, they will continue receiving those messages from similar content or hashtags. "We also need larger media and marketing to change," she says. "That includes more diverse body representation in movies and television and advertisements; better education on the biology of appetite and weight; and less emphasis on weight loss as the end-all-be-all overall." She also notes that eating disorders don't always look like extreme thinness. "Most disordered eating lives in people who appear normal or even healthy by societal standards, and they're often praised for it," she explains. Teachers and school administrators also need to have honest conversations about body image and mental health, and do more to educate young people about media literacy, says Vejar. "Media literacy should be included in the curriculum so kids can better understand how content is filtered and unrealistic." Curtis agrees. Children need to learn that some online content can be predatory, especially if it promotes thinness, disordered eating, and ultimately that they are not enough, she says. "If you're a young person and you have never been educated on the predatory nature of these practically immediately indoctrinated into a cultural value of—be pretty for us, be cool, be thin," she says. "Young people so badly want to be cool and to fit in. The initiation into this warped cultural value is essentially seamless." Vejar recommends having open, honest, judgment-free conversations with your kids. "Ask questions, but also listen, and be present and supportive." Focus on how your child feels, not how they look. Instead of saying, 'You look so skinny in that outfit,' try saying, 'You look happy,' or 'You seem confident today.' Here are some additional things you can do: Get professional help early if you suspect a problem. Therapists, dietitians, or healthcare providers who specialize in eating disorders can be crucial to your child's recovery, says Vejar. Model healthy behavior. Your kids notice if you obsess about weight or make negative body comments. "If they hear you criticizing your body or glorifying restraint, they're learning that message, too," says Michele. Educate yourself. Vejar suggests learning the warning signs and understanding the mental health side of disordered eating so you can get help and intervention when needed. Monitor social media. Be aware of what kind of content your child is exposed to online, suggests Vejar. Talk to them about what they are watching and how it makes them feel. Be curious but not controlling. According to Michele, eating behaviors are usually a symptom of something else, and the goal is to build trust so your child can let you in. Allow them to talk freely without judgment and help them find tools that will help them recover. Expose them to positive messages. Curtis says she recalls reading interviews with Kate Winslet when she was a teen battling an eating disorder. "Her sole voice, advocating for body diversity and acceptance, kept me from truly diving into an irrevocable descent with my eating."If you or a loved one are coping with an eating disorder, contact the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) Helpline for support at 1-800-931-2237 or text NEDA to the original article on Parents
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
This 1 Toxic Mindset Can Destroy Your Mental Health (And You're Probably Guilty Of It, Too)
Messages like 'Go big or go home,' 'Anything worth doing is worth doing right,' and even, 'Do or do not. There is no try,' are meant to inspire us — but they often have the complete opposite effect. This all-or-nothing mindset sets us up for impossible standards. Negative thoughts like 'I'm not an athlete, so what's the point in working out?' or 'My first TikTok didn't go viral, so I'm never posting again,' creep in, encouraging us to give up before we even try. So why do we even do it? Well, you can thank biology for that. 'Our brains are inherently trying to find patterns because our nervous systems and part of our brains crave that certainty,' explained Jennifer Vincent, a licensed mental health counselor and founder of Therapy for Cycle Breakers. 'Our brains love the 'all or nothing' thinking because it creates a sense of closure,' she added. 'We're either fully succeeding or failing. In a weird way, our brains want that because it feels the safest with predictability, even when it's wrong. Our brain hates the gray; it's too messy.' Thinking like this often starts in childhood, where we are 'conditioned from a young age to see life in black-and-white terms,' said Cynthia Vejar, the program director and associate professor of clinical mental health counseling at Lebanon Valley College. Win or lose a game, get a job offer or not — 'it's hard not to fall into this binary way of thinking.' Think of it like a 10-year-old whose soccer team loses a game. 'The coach might encourage the team to value their hard work and effort, but the child might still look at this as a win-or-lose situation, and it can feel like a crushing disappointment,' Vejar said. When a zero-sum mentality like this is applied to other areas of life, we might forget the value of the middle ground. Real life is not a soccer tournament, and the gray, not-exactly-winning, not-exactly-losing areas of life can be wonderful. 'These 'shades of gray' are where we learn, grow, adapt, improve, understand ourselves and others, and identify goals,' Vejar said. But even if that gray area is normal, it can be difficult to let go of the all-or-nothing thought pattern that tells us everything has to be absolutely perfect or it doesn't have value. These feelings are common, but giving into an all-or-nothing mindset can hinder your productivity — and tank your self-confidence. Here's experts' advice on how to reframe that thinking. An all-or-nothing mindset is not healthy. In fact, Ida Sulusky, a licensed clinical psychologist and research associate professor at Northwestern University, tells HuffPost that this thinking is 'a type of cognitive distortion or a false belief' that 'can impact a person's functioning and relationships.' As an educator and a clinician, Sulusky often meets young professionals who are unable to meet assignment deadlines, but not because they don't care. 'They are unable to turn in work because they do not believe it is 'good enough,'' she said. 'The desire or need for things to be exact results in either delays in completing obligations and tasks or an inability to complete them when perfection proves unattainable.' (Which, spoiler alert, is all the time.) All-or-nothing thinking can negatively impact your mental health, according to experts, because no one is perfect all the time. 'If there is no room for anything less than perfection, all-or-nothing thinking can become paralyzing,' Sulusky said. 'A person can struggle to complete work assignments, commitments to loved ones, and importantly, commitments to oneself.' Vincent also pointed this out. 'We often set ourselves up to fail,' she said. 'The constant pressure to perform perfectly can create an overwhelming self of never being good enough, which is a key contributor to both anxiety and depression.' 'There is a fear of making mistakes or not meeting expectations, which then leads to shame, negative self-talk, and feelings of inadequacy,' she continued. (And if you've ever tried to be productive while stuck in a shame spiral, you know how impossible that is!) Another way all-or-nothing thinking can impact your mental health is by comparing your real or perceived failures to other people, especially on social media. 'If I can't look like them or work out like them, then I won't even try,' is a common thought, according to Vincent. 'This comparison steals our joy and our ability to have self-compassion,' she said. We all know that what people choose to share online is often not the whole picture. How frequently do you see a job or baby announcement compared to posts about job rejections and fertility issues? 'What's missing is the behind-the-scenes reality such as the hard work, setbacks, and struggles that occur on our path towards our ultimate achievements,' Vejar explained. 'For example, the blood-sweat-and-tears of a person's wellness journey or the multitude of rejections they received before landing their dream job.' Unfortunately, there is no 'reset' option to reprogram your brain into giving up this thinking. It takes time, trial and error, and patience. 'Testing false beliefs and cognitive distortions through small, incremental experiments can help break out of all-or-nothing thinking,' Sulusky said. She suggested focusing on the present and not ruminating on the past or thinking about what you could have done differently. 'When you miss a day at the gym, ask yourself, 'What is the 1% effort that I can put toward my goal of taking care of my health today?'' she said. Maybe instead of the 60-minute HIIT routine you were planning, you enjoy a 10-minute walk or five minutes of mindfulness practice and meditation. And if your goal is big (like running a marathon or completing a big work project, for example), break it down into smaller increments. Vejar recommended setting realistic expectations for yourself, which begins with 'an honest understanding of where you're starting and where you want to end up.' 'This means setting goals that reflect achievable growth over a reasonable period of time,' Vejar continued. She encourages people to 'recognize small accomplishments and milestones along the way, and view setbacks as a part of the journey, all of which can lead toward the ultimate goal of success.' Additionally, 'the next time you catch yourself spiraling because you didn't do everything perfectly, try reframing the situation,' Vincent suggested. 'Instead of thinking, 'I failed the whole week,' try, 'Well, that wasn't what I wanted, but I still have time today to try again.'' And while you're at it, replace some of those earlier mantras with others, like the old adage 'Done is better than perfect.' Finally, give yourself a break. A total mindset overhaul doesn't happen in one day. 'Steering away from an all-or-nothing mindset means that you should give yourself grace and forgiveness when applicable,' Vejar said. This Japanese Ritual May Be The Secret To Reaching A Goal. Here's Why You Should Try It. 25 Unexpected, Little Ways To Improve Your Mental Health In 2025 6 Things People Do Differently In Finland, The Happiest Country In The World
