Discussing social media and potential nutrition impacts with Colleen Sloan, PA-C, RDN
Colleen Sloan, PA-C, RDN, highlights what she is seeing in practice related to screen time, devices, and social media and impacts on nutrition.
Colleen Sloan, PA-C, RDN, registered dietitian in pediatrics; host of The Exam Room Nutrition podcast, and nutrition columnist for Contemporary Pediatrics, explored how social media and screen use intersect with pediatric nutrition, weight, and mental health.
Sloan emphasized that for today’s youth, screen time has become a part of their lifestyle. While adults may be tempted to dismiss social media as harmful, she noted that for younger generations, it is integrated into daily life. Social media can offer access to useful information and tools, but it also presents risks when it promotes unrealistic expectations. “It can really be a time trap and sets inappropriate expectations for body image and for… the foods that we’re eating,” she said.
From July 2021 to December 2023, half of teenagers aged 12 to 17 years reportedly spent 4 hours or more a day on screens, according to the CDC.1 Sloan observed that in clinical practice, the numbers are often higher. “When I’ve asked my patients to check their screen time, it’s anywhere between 2 and 3 to 10 hours, and I even had one case where a girl was up to 18 hours in a day.”
She also connected increased screen time with rising obesity rates among children and adolescents. With nearly 1 in 5 young people classified as obese, Sloan said excessive screen use has long been known to displace physical activity and affect eating behaviors. One concern is mindless eating. “One study actually showed that one-third of daily energy intake and half of a child’s meals were consumed in front of the screen,” she noted, referencing research published in Pediatrics.2
Beyond nutrition and activity, Sloan pointed to emotional and psychological concerns. Exposure to heavily filtered, idealized images online can contribute to body dissatisfaction, anxiety, and disordered eating. “Kids, especially young females are constantly bombarded with filtered, unrealistic images of beauty and fitness. So that's leading a lot to anxiety, depression, disordered eating habits, and even leading into full blown eating disorders.,” she said.
For pediatricians, Sloan recommended initiating gentle conversations about how children view their bodies and the role of media in shaping those perceptions. “That’s a really good way to explore if social media is impacting their mental health and their body image.”
References:
1. Zablotsky B, Arockiaraj B, Haile G, Ng A. Daily Screen Time Among Teenagers: United States, July 2021–December 2023. CDC. October 2024. Accessed May 16, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db513.htm
2. Robinson TN, Banda JA, Hale L, et al. Screen Media Exposure and Obesity in Children and Adolescents. Pediatrics. 2017 Nov;140(Suppl 2):S97-S101. doi: 10.1542/peds.2016-1758K. PMID: 29093041; PMCID: PMC5769928.
