YouTube is tightening its rules on content related to eating disorders or behavior that may inspire them, according to a blog post from Dr. Garth Graham, director of YouTube Health.
The move follows the trend of videos like "mukbang," where people record themselves eating large amounts of food that became popular during the pandemic.
A study shows that those with problematic mukbang-watching habits were more likely to experience disordered eating and internet addiction.
The research also suggests that watching mukbang may be problematic for some people and requires further study to understand its impact on mental health and well-being.
Prohibiting Eating Disorder-related Content
YouTube's new guidelines will prohibit content containing "imitable" behavior that may inspire people at risk of developing an eating disorder to copy, including videos that show severely restricting calories or purging, as well as weight-based bullying related to eating disorders.
YouTube will also now put age restrictions on certain content that may be educational for some viewers but does not have the same value for children and teenagers.
These changes will take time to ramp up and will only result in the prohibition of some videos that feature an eating disorder topic or dieting subject. Videos that follow the site's rules for educational, documentary, scientific, and artistic content will still be allowed.
Taking a Look Into Copycat Disorders
YouTube has worked with experts in the eating disorder field, including the National Eating Disorder Association, to develop new guidelines and determine what behavior may cause copycat disordered eating and be taken down.
In an email to CNET, clinical psychologist Erin Parks explains that prolonged exposure to content, hours versus minutes, can amplify its impact.
The expert suggests parents supplement their child's screen time with content that promotes a healthy relationship with food, highlights and celebrates the many purposes of food, and avoids a list of fitness influencers with a singular body type.
Eating Disorder Pandemic
The pandemic worsened symptoms of eating disorders for many people, and more people were treated for eating disorders. The prolonged exposure to unrealistic images on social media without a counterbalance of seeing people in real life exacerbated the situation.
According to one study, there was a significant increase in hospital admissions during the pandemic, as well as an increase in eating disorder symptoms, anxiety, depression, and changes in body mass index.
Many qualitative studies described deterioration in eating disorder symptoms as a result of decreased access to care and treatment, changes in routine and loss of structure, the negative influence of the media, and social isolation.
In general, it is essential to understand that an eating disorder is a mental health condition that disrupts the way someone eats to the point where it interferes with their daily life or threatens their health.
The move by YouTube to update its guidelines on content related to eating disorders is a great development. While it is a good start, limiting time spent on the platform would likely have an even more significant impact.
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