Toxic Influencers on Social Media: Impact on Children and Adolescents. A Brief Review
Keywords:
toxic influencers, adolescents, children, social media, reviewAbstract
Abstract
As the advancement of technology increases, the use of social media by children and
teenagers is becoming more and more common. These young age groups tend to spend
their time interacting with online friends and seem to follow famous people, influenced
by the content on their screens. Influencers are people who have become widely known
through the promotion of themselves and their lifestyle on social media. They often work
with commercial companies aiming to influence users to consume the products they
promote. The negative effects of toxic influencers on children and adolescents are
widespread and widely accepted. This brief review demonstrates high rates of addictive
and risky behaviors, over-consumption patterns, eating disorders and negative body
image in children and adolescents due to the negative influence of content promoted by
toxic influencers on social media. In these circumstances, both scientists working with
the young population and parents should act as a shield against the risk of disruption to
children’s physical and mental health.
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