At A Glance
Mental health is a critical component of overall well-being that influences one’s ability to cope with stress, overcome challenges, build relationships and contribute to communities. Studies have shown a concerning correlation between social media use and mental health challenges.
Clemson University expert Brooke Bennett addresses the impact social media has on body image and how negative body image affects those struggling with mental health. She examines how the shift from traditional media to influencer culture has affected modern-day body ideals and increased the range of people negatively impacted by body image.
Bio
In an age where technology is ever-present in our daily lives, Brooke Bennett’s research focuses on the impact of social media on body image and disordered eating. Through this, Bennett can also speak to how social media affects body image and body ideals for students from elementary to college level and adults of all ages. Bennett is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology as well as director of the BEAM (Body image, eating, access and media) lab at Clemson University.
Through her research, Bennett works to improve the health and well-being of individuals navigating the current cultural and environmental barriers to eating well and developing a positive body image. In doing this, she identifies the ways in which digital technology negatively impacts the health of its users and determines how technology can be used instead to expand the reach of and enhance evidence-based care for all people.
While Bennett’s main focus of research is on social media and body image, she also explores the impact of sociocultural factors on eating behaviors and body image in diverse and underserved populations in order to better understand how the application of digital interventions can be maximized to achieve health equity. She conducts health-related research on improving evidence-based care for eating disorders through the use of technology, body image concerns and changing body ideals, weight stigma and internalized weight bias across settings, and improving food access through policy change. Her work informs efforts to reduce eating-related health disparities and improve health outcomes for all.