In case you need a reminder, the lives people project on social media don’t reflect their real lives — and if you need another example, a new study shows that applies to what food they post, too.
Researchers at George Mason University analyzed the accounts and posts of hundreds of Pinterest users and Pinterest influencers, and discovered that while these online foodies post and like images of healthy food, featuring fish, chicken, and meat, they actually search for recipes for meals high in sugar, calories and fat.
“It’s an interesting discrepancy between what pinners posted/liked and how users actually consumed the information,” study leader Hong Xue, PhD says in a university release.
“They are more likely to adhere to an elite social norm set by celebrities and influencers promoting healthier, low-calorie, clean eating. But when it comes to…making food…We see a very different picture. They’re commenting on and posting finished dish photos of the less healthy recipes.”
Which means this mealtime virtual signaling is no more their real life than any YOLO pic they might have posted, while their IRL day-to-day is far less glamorous.