Study finds relationship between screen time, weight and social media bullying
The risk of bullying was especially pronounced on X and Twitch
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - The more time a child spends on social media platforms, the more likely they’ll be bullied about their weight.
This conclusion is from new research, offering another way to better understand what kids are going through, especially online, so we as parents and adults can find a way to help and protect them.
Parents, you know how much is on social media. It can be overwhelming. We’ve talked about online bullying here at the First Alert Safety Desk.
Researchers for this multinational study, published in the journal PLOS One, found the chances of your child getting bullied for their weight goes up 13% as each hour passes.
X, formerly Twitter, and the Twitch platforms were associated with the greatest increase in weight-related bullying. The risk went up 69% on X and 49% on Twitch.
X says its policies have evolved since the study data were first collected and it has enforcement protocols to protect minors.
A Twitch spokesperson says the platform prioritizes user safety and applies community guidelines to all of its content.
What can parents do? Researchers want to remind parents to check in on what their child is doing online, who they’re talking to, and also ask if they’re being bullied online. Experts say it’s important to validate their feelings and explain that bullying is the problem, not their weight.
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