How social media in China shapes eating disordersCEFR A1
15 Apr 2026
Adapted from Lina Ma, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Declan Sun, Unsplash
- Social media in China changes talk about eating disorders.
- Some pages present thinness as a lifestyle.
- Users post daily notes of food and weight.
- People write check-ins with weight and food.
- Comments often praise strict food rules.
- Young users use codes and emojis to hide.
- Platforms try to remove harmful posts.
- Experts say removal alone is not enough.
- Some users join small hidden groups online.
- This trend worries parents and teachers.
Difficult words
- eating disorder — a mental illness about food and weighteating disorders
- thinness — being very thin or low body weight
- check-in — a short message about your current statuscheck-ins
- strict — having firm and exact rules
- emoji — small pictures used in messagesemojis
- hidden group — a small private online communityhidden groups
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you use social media?
- Have you seen people write their weight online?
- Would you tell a parent or teacher if you saw harmful posts?
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