Unless you have—by some strange twist of events—been completely cut off from the world for roughly the last decade, you know how integral social media culture has become in defining modern society. Everything from sports and entertainment to politics, health, and world news has been infiltrated by social networks to some extent; however, there are still disagreements about whether this shift toward technology is the best or the worst thing for our country as a whole. Social networks have incredible potential for creating long-distance connections and reaching a larger audience than possible with other means of communication, but since the dawn of social media following the turn of the century, social networks have had a tight grip on many aspects
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A study conducted by Robert Pretlow found that “many respondents…exhibited DSM-IV substance dependence (addiction) criteria when describing their relationship with highly pleasurable foods.” (295) The fact of the matter is that there is not extensive research on the topic of food and its impact on dietary decisions people make, but there is enough research to suggest that food can have an addictive quality and should be researched further. If a connection between food and addiction behaviors can be made, it would also be possible to figure out the role social media plays in feeding into food addictions similarly to other substances and potential ways it could be used to people’s benefits to lessen dependency on unhealthy foods or improve their overall eating …show more content…
Regulating the overexposure to unhealthy foods is seen by many experts as a viable strategy to handle obesity and poor nutrition in the United States, but the rights to free speech detailed in the First Amendment—which also extends to non-speech advertising—make this increasingly difficult (Pomeranz 40). Public health organizations have been attempting to convey health-related information to the American public since the early 1960s in an attempt to chance their eating habits and prevent or lower the risks of diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and various chronic diseases, but the public still didn’t comprehend the significance of those new dietary discoveries (Winter 6). In the United States over the last decade, “one-third of children and adolescents are overweight or obese, yet food and beverage companies continue to target them,” according to Jennifer Harris and Samantha Graff’s article in the American Journal of Public Health (214). This a large part of why bad eating habits can form from a very young age, thus making them much more difficult to alter.
A study conducted by Robert Pretlow found that “many respondents…exhibited DSM-IV substance dependence (addiction) criteria when describing their relationship with highly pleasurable foods.” (295) The fact of the matter is that there is not extensive research on the topic of food and its impact on dietary decisions people make, but there is enough research to suggest that food can have an addictive quality and should be researched further. If a connection between food and addiction behaviors can be made, it would also be possible to figure out the role social media plays in feeding into food addictions similarly to other substances and potential ways it could be used to people’s benefits to lessen dependency on unhealthy foods or improve their overall eating …show more content…
Regulating the overexposure to unhealthy foods is seen by many experts as a viable strategy to handle obesity and poor nutrition in the United States, but the rights to free speech detailed in the First Amendment—which also extends to non-speech advertising—make this increasingly difficult (Pomeranz 40). Public health organizations have been attempting to convey health-related information to the American public since the early 1960s in an attempt to chance their eating habits and prevent or lower the risks of diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and various chronic diseases, but the public still didn’t comprehend the significance of those new dietary discoveries (Winter 6). In the United States over the last decade, “one-third of children and adolescents are overweight or obese, yet food and beverage companies continue to target them,” according to Jennifer Harris and Samantha Graff’s article in the American Journal of Public Health (214). This a large part of why bad eating habits can form from a very young age, thus making them much more difficult to alter.