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How an algorithm builds up an eating disorder risk, and how to start the conversation without moralising.
SkinnyTok is not a separate app but an algorithmic niche within TikTok: videos that glorify extreme thinness, minimise food intake and frame restriction as a lifestyle. The algorithm learns fast: a single 'what I eat in a day' video can tip a feed within a week.
For girls in the identity-forming phase, comparison has a strong effect. What begins as 'inspiration' shifts to 'the norm' and then to 'minimum target'. Research links increased exposure to eating disorder characteristics, not just to dissatisfaction with appearance.
Changing eating behaviour (skipping meals, withdrawing at mealtimes), obsessive calorie talk, tracker apps, body-checking behaviour (mirror checking, pinching), and social withdrawal. Language: 'lecker', 'safe food', 'cheat day', 'body checking'.
Do not talk about the body itself; that reinforces the focus. Talk about what the feed does to her, how she feels after an hour of scrolling, and what she misses when she doesn't watch. If an eating disorder is suspected: refer via the GP to youth mental health services or eating disorder specialists.
