According to experts, social media can significantly influence how children and teenagers perceive themselves. Excessive exposure to online content and the pressure to achieve an ideal body shape may increase the risk of using stimulants or psychoactive substances, as well as contributing to the development of eating disorders. Specialists also stress that peers have a major influence on the dietary choices of younger generations. Possible solutions include compulsory health education and regulations concerning content published on social media platforms.
“Social media affects young people in a surprising way. It creates an idealised cult of the perfect body. Both teenage girls and boys see attractive figures or athletes during puberty and want to look the same. However, they often do not take into account biological development cycles or differences in body structure, even though everyone’s body is different,” Dr Mateusz Gemba, Vice-Rector for Quality of Education and Teaching at the Warsaw Medical and Technical Academy of Applied Sciences, told Newseria.
According to the latest Internet Children 2026 report published by the Institute of Digital Citizenship, 2.6 million children aged 7 to 14 use the internet in Poland. Fifty-five per cent regularly use major social media platforms or messaging services, despite the fact that these services are not intended for their age group.
“The excessive influence of media on the way body image and appearance are shaped can have negative consequences. In searching for ideal role models, young people may turn to stimulants. This may include caffeine, which in excessive quantities can have an ergogenic effect. I mean energy drinks consumed to improve performance during training and physical exercise,” Dr Gemba says.
According to a report by the National Institute of Public Health – National Research Institute, energy drinks were regularly consumed by 2.1% of children in Poland. Among young people aged 10 to 17, the figure was 35.7% for boys and 27.4% for girls. Since 1 January 2024, the sale of energy drinks to minors has been prohibited in Poland.
“The next step may involve starvation, for example among girls who want to reduce body fat at all costs. This can have a particularly negative impact on the development of the hormonal system in people going through puberty,” the expert explains.
A 2021 study by the Empowering Children Foundation, titled The Impact of Social Media Use on Teenagers’ Perception of Their Bodies, found that 62% of teenagers believe that attractive people can gain popularity more easily. Meanwhile, 40% believe that good-looking people are much happier. Among those who spend more time on social media, the figure rises to 53%.
“There should be limits on the idealised image promoted on social media, although I believe this would be very difficult to implement. Today, people can publish whatever content they want, regardless of who shares it. These can be private channels, not necessarily professional platforms focused on creating polished content or displaying one’s body. Nevertheless, I believe that such restrictions could improve young people’s mental wellbeing in the future,” Dr Gemba says.
The Internet Children 2026 report shows that social media platforms, understood as services enabling users to create profiles, publish content and interact with others, are at the centre of children’s digital activity. The average daily time spent on such platforms is two hours and 33 minutes, considerably higher than the average for the overall population, which is one hour and 33 minutes.
“We are observing the impact of social media on young people, primarily in the form of impaired mental wellbeing. More and more teenagers are struggling with problems such as depression, disrupted daily routines, sleep disorders and eating disorders. It is no longer only anorexia or bulimia. It can also include compulsive overeating during the day or at night,” says the Vice-Rector for Quality of Education and Teaching at the Warsaw Medical and Technical Academy of Applied Sciences.
The Empowering Children Foundation study also found that fear of obesity was one of the most frequently expressed concerns related to appearance. As many as 40% of girls worried that they might gain weight, compared with 26% of boys.
“Eating disorders were very widespread in the 1990s. We are now observing them again, but they are more complex and combined forms of eating disorders, and there are significantly more cases. In addition, the cult of the perfect body leads young people to use various intoxicating substances. By reducing appetite, they can contribute to the development of eating disorders,” Dr Gemba explains.
Peers Have the Strongest Influence on Food Choices
“An survey I conducted on the influence of emotions on the dietary choices of children and young people aged 8 to 18 showed that three-quarters of respondents believe that emotions affect what they eat. The main emotion that makes respondents reach for food is boredom. It makes us head towards the fridge and consume larger amounts of food,” says Anna Pawlak, a lecturer at the Warsaw Medical and Technical Academy of Applied Sciences.
Respondents also believed that sport is the best way to reduce negative emotions and, as a result, prevent emotional eating.
“Another important finding was that children very often try to talk to peers or parents about their emotions and how they feel. It was also important to ask whether advertising, influencers and peers affect food choices. It turned out that peers have the greatest influence. Unfortunately, they encourage respondents to choose mainly unhealthy products, such as energy drinks, crisps and other popular products promoted by influencers,” Anna Pawlak explains.
“Young people are still not sufficiently and comprehensively educated about health and nutrition habits. We are working on this, for example through health education. However, when educating through social media, I can see that knowledge is still not at an appropriate level,” says Mateusz Szałajko, a dietitian.
The report Children’s and Young People’s Food Choices – What Influences Them?, prepared by Nestlé Polska, the Polish Athletics Association and the Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, shows that regular eating habits gradually decline with age, while children’s lifestyles become more diverse.
Younger children aged 9 to 10 usually eat breakfast at home, take a second breakfast to school and have meals prepared by their parents.
Among older pupils aged 11 to 12, this regularity is weaker. They are more likely to skip breakfast at home and are also less likely to eat lunch regularly at school. In addition, they make more independent decisions about what they eat, which often leads to less nutritious snack choices.
“Young people need knowledge about proper nutrition. I can see that the quality of information on social media is somewhat lower, and I use platforms such as Instagram and TikTok myself, where many nutrition myths are repeatedly shared. This is an area worth working on,” Mateusz Szałajko says.
From the 2026/2027 school year, health education will become a compulsory subject for pupils in grades four to eight of primary school and for two years in secondary schools. Mandatory topics will include digital hygiene, nutrition, addiction prevention, and mental, physical and social health.
“Health education will help young people acquire knowledge. Without it, especially without nutrition education, it is difficult for them to separate nutrition facts from myths, of which there are unfortunately many on social media. With this foundation, they will be able to assess whether particular content is consistent with current scientific knowledge,” the dietitian concludes.
