Research Symposium

BIO

My name is Maddi Kowalewski, and I am from Atlanta, Georgia. I am a sophomore majoring in psychology and part of the Honors Program. I plan to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology with a focus on forensic applications in correctional and institutional settings. My research interests include psychology and criminology.

The “Girl Dinner” Trend: A Social Media Content Analysis Exploring Potential Themes Related to Eating Habits & Mental Health

Abstract

The social media trend “girl dinner” features convenient, spontaneous, and often unbalanced meals consisting of random food combinations. Popular among young women on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, it has been criticized for normalizing under-eating and reinforcing associations between femininity and low-calorie meals. The present study systematically analyzes Instagram’s “girl dinner” trend to identify potential themes related to disordered eating behaviors and mental health. A content analysis was conducted by collecting 250 Instagram posts tagged with “#girldinner” over five days. Posts, including captions but excluding comments, were recorded and screened for duplicates. Research assistants coded the first 50 posts using an objective coding scheme evaluating demographic characteristics of people in the video, types of foods and beverages consumed, aesthetic quality, and disordered eating and mental health-related themes. Interrater reliability was assessed using Krippendorff’s alpha (α), with α > .667 considered acceptable. Frequencies were calculated for all acceptable variables, and mean and standard deviation were computed for the number of foods per post. Due to approximately 44% of coded variables lacking acceptable interrater reliability, findings are limited. No definitive themes related to disordered eating or mental health emerged, but we obtained demographic insights into trend participants and common food choices. Since “girl dinner” content is subjective, raising awareness of its potential unintended negative messages is crucial, particularly given younger audiences' susceptibility to social media influence.

Keywords: mental health, social media, eating disorders, social media trends, girl dinner