Presenter: July Kim

Algorithmic Appetites: The influence of Social Media Content and Emotional Regulation on Emotional Eating Patterns Within First-year Students

Type of Presentation: Oral Presentation

Abstract

This project explores disordered eating within 1st year UBC university students in the context of social media exposure and emotional regulation. Previous research such as Gerwin, Roslyn L., and Sahar Ashraf (2025) and Jaruga-Se Kowska, Sylwia, et al (2025) has explored within youth groups constantly exposed to media. However, existing research does not fully explain how these factors contribute to specifically 1st year university students, a crucial period where transitioning towards individual living happens. Leading to my question: ‘How does social media exposure and emotional regulation affect disordered eating within 1st year university students?’. This study intends to use a mixed-methods approach, first targeting 40 UBC students aged 17-19 an individual questionnaire based on the EAT-26 test. Furthermore, 5 in-depth semi-structured interviews for deeper insight on motives regarding disordered eating patterns. This study might reveal the triggering aspects of disordered eating habits within 1st year university students related to the different levels of emotional regulation and social media exposure frequency. A limitation of this research is that it only looks at UBC students, therefore it does not offer other university students’ data and cannot be generalized. Though, it might be useful by offering a comprehensive pattern of these behaviours.

Biography

July Kim is a first-year Arts student at the University of British Columbia and she is very interested in learning about how different perspectives about human behaviour shapes the world. Outside her academic interests, she likes hiking, exploring different places, and traveling. Within Arts, she hopes to pursue a degree in economics.