The new research looked at how people either decided to take break from, or change the way they use, social platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp and Snapchat.
In a new paper, The Ethoses of (Dis)Connecting with Friends on Social Media: Digital Cocooning and Entrepreneurial Networking among People with Eating Disorders, published in the journal Social Media + Society, the authors examined why people disconnect and what they are looking for instead of how people use social media or how it affects their mental health – like the majority of studies in this field.
The team found that:
- People don’t just disconnect from social media to spend less time online; they also do it to change how they connect.
- Some people create safe, small spaces to share and support each other, instead of competing.
- The way we use social media is influenced by bigger ideas in society, and changing how we connect could help change those ideas too.
The study explained that some people disconnect because they feel pressured to always be positive, compete with others, or show off.
However, the researchers found that one group of people in particular – those struggling with eating disorders (EDs) – used social media differently.
Instead of trying to impress others, they created small, supportive spaces where they could share feelings and be there for each other.
The researchers call this phenomenon digital cocooning, like wrapping yourself in a safe blanket of close, trusted friends.
Lead author Professor Paula Saukko said: "Social media gets a bad rap for harming mental health, especially when it comes to body image and eating disorders, but it’s not all bad – people recovering from eating disorders actually found messaging apps helpful for staying connected with supportive friends and family.
“The key is genuine interactions – being there for each other, sharing struggles, and feeling accepted.
“On the flip side, broader social media networks, like Instagram, often felt toxic-driven by competition, self-promotion, and unrealistic standards.
“This left many feeling stressed and out of place. The real issue isn’t just how much time people spend online, but the quality of their interactions.”
In contrast to digital cocooning, where people felt safe, the paper also identified entrepreneurial networking, which fuels pressure and exclusion.
“Social media isn’t inherently bad,” said Prof Saukko. “But it depends on how we use it - especially for those navigating mental health challenges.
“A lot of it is shaped by big ideas in society—like competition and always needing to be successful.
“People who step away from this might feel better, but they also struggle because the world around them still expects them to act a certain way.”
The study included young and middle-aged participants from a treatment centre, an ED charity, and a student sample.
The student group comprised young adults uninvolved with ED charities. Participants had anorexia (10), bulimia (6), binge eating disorder (3), other EDs (2), or multiple EDs (10).
Some were acutely ill, others fully recovered, but most were in recovery. Ages ranged from 18–49: 18 were 18–24, three were 25–29, and 10 were 30–49.
The sample included 28 women and three men; 25 were white, six were (South) Asian or mixed race. All had or were pursuing a university education.
To read the article visit the Sage Journals website.
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