The New York TimesThe New York Times

Eating Disorders and Social Media Prove Difficult to Untangle

By Kate Conger, Kellen Browning and Erin Woo

22 Oct 2021 · 7 min read

A 27-year-old YouTube star, prodded by her millions of followers with concerns about her health. A 19-year-old TikTok creator who features posts about being skinny. Teen communities throughout the internet, cleverly naming and culling their discussions to avoid detection.

They present a nearly intractable problem for social media companies under pressure to do something about material on their services that many people believe is causing harm, particularly to teenagers.

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