Utilisation d’Instagram, aptitude à critiquer les médias et symptômes de troubles du comportement alimentaire chez les adolescentes : une étude exploratoire

Abstract

Un manque de données empiriques existe concernant la relation entre l’utilisation des réseaux sociaux et les symptômes de troubles du comportement alimentaire (TCA). Dans une perspective socioculturelle de l’étiologie des TCA, certains réseaux sociaux tels qu’Instagram pourraient revêtir une influence concomitante liée aux pairs et aux médias. Aussi, peu de données sont disponibles concernant les facteurs protecteurs de l’exposition aux réseaux sociaux. Dans ce contexte, les objectifs de cette étude étaient : 1) examiner les relations entre l’utilisation d’Instagram et les symptômes de TCA ; 2) explorer le rôle modérateur de l’aptitude à critiquer les médias dans cette relation. Un échantillon de 170 adolescentes (M_âge = 15,88, ET = 0,86) a complété un questionnaire mesurant les symptômes de TCA, l’aptitude à critiquer les médias ainsi que l’utilisation d’Instagram. Les résultats ont retrouvé une corrélation faible et positive entre la fréquence d’utilisation d’Instagram, l’insatisfaction corporelle et la recherche de la minceur. L’aptitude à critiquer les médias modérait la relation entre l’utilisation d’Instagram et les symptômes de TCA. Ces résultats suggèrent que l’utilisation d’Instagram pourrait être un facteur de risque de TCA et que développer l’aptitude à critiquer les médias auprès des adolescentes pourrait s’avérer bénéfique dans la prévention des TCA. Dans le cadre des thérapies cognitivo-comportementales, il pourrait être intéressant de travailler avec les patients les croyances associées aux médias et de proposer des exercices de dissonances cognitives.

Eating disorders (EDs) are severe mental disorders and are associated with a high mortality rate. Several etiological models of eating disorder symptoms have been conceptualized including the tripartite influence model that suggests that in western societies pressures to achieve a very thin appearance are disseminated by the media, and amplified by family members, and peers (Thompson et al., 1999). While the relationship between media/family/peer influences and disordered eating has been well documented, little is known regarding the relationship between social media use and disordered eating among adolescents. Nevertheless, within a sociocultural framework, some social media such as Instagram might provide a conjunction of both peer and media influences. While the exploration of the relationship between social media use and disordered eating is still beginning, some international studies have highlighted a relationship between these two behaviors. Therefore, an important area in the field of eating disorders prevention is to identify potential protective factors of social media exposure. Within the context of media exposure, media literacy (the capacity to analyze, evaluate and understand media) has been proposed to mitigate the effects of traditional media exposure (e.g., magazine, TV) (Irving et al., 1998). Thus, exploring the association between social media use, disordered eating, and media literacy is an important area of investigation. The aims of the current study were therefore: 1) to examine the relationship between Instagram use and disordered eating; 2) to explore the moderating role of media literacy in the relationship between Instagram use and disordered eating. A sample of 170 adolescent girls (Mage = 15.88, SD = .86) completed a questionnaire assessing disordered eating symptoms, media literacy and frequency and nature of Instagram use. Correlational analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between disordered eating symptoms, media literacy and frequency of Instagram use. The moderating role of media literacy in the relationship between frequency of Instagram use and disordered eating was tested through regression analysis. Findings revealed that Instagram use frequency was positively associated with both body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness (r = .18, P < .05; r = .32, P < .01). Media literacy was found to moderate the relationship between Instagram use frequency and both drive for thinness (R2 change .02, P < .05) and body dissatisfaction (R2 change .03, P < .05). To our knowledge, no investigations of the relationship between social media use and disordered eating have been conducted among French samples. The findings of the present study suggest that social media use should be conceptualized within etiological sociocultural models of eating disorders. These findings also suggest that promoting social media literacy might be useful to protect adolescent girls against social media exposure. Given that social media might be a conjunction of both peer and media influences, special attention should be paid regarding risk and protective factor of social media exposure. Results also suggest that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) should include media literacy training among patients presenting ED symptoms. Indeed, cognitive restructuring through media literacy might help to reduce investment in the thin-ideal. Using cognitive dissonance might be particularly useful to develop critical skills regarding the thin-ideal promoted by both traditional and social media. Experimental studies aiming to explore the relationship between social media exposure and disordered eating within a sociocultural framework are needed (i.e., assessing outcomes such as social comparison, internalization of the thin ideal, and traditional peer/media/parent influences). Finally, further research would help to explore the role of media literacy within the context of social media exposure.