Internet as a risk factor for the occurrence of feeding behavior in adolescent girls

The article presents the results of an empirical study aimed at determining the role of the Internet in shaping the risk of developing feeding behavior in adolescent girls. Social media has been identified as a necessary component of the lives of girls at risk of developing feeding behavior. The main motives for their use are: the communicative motive, the motive of the need to belong to a particular group, the cognitive motive and the motive of following fashion trends. All of the girls are members of online communities dedicated to feeding behaviors and are active in them, engaging in dialogue, expressing opinions and emotions on the wall under the posts, in discussions, chats, and polls. The majority of the study participants trust the information they find in such communities and are willing to make decisions about their feeding behaviors based on it. Information from friends and acquaintances, representatives of official structures, celebrities, and administrators of Internet communities is also considered trustworthy by them.