Psychiatrist Warns Beauty Influencers Toxic as Andrew Tate

Professor Mathew Sadlier, a consultant psychiatrist at Dublin's Mater Hospital, warned at a Scottish Parliament event that beauty influencers on social media can be "just as toxic as Andrew Tate," contributing significantly to the rise in extreme eating disorders among young people. He emphasized that social media exacerbates existing vulnerabilities rather than creating new problems, with adolescent girls facing body image issues and boys dealing with different challenges such as bodybuilding and steroid use. Sadlier highlighted the difficulty in policing harmful content ecosystems around self-harm and unrealistic body images, which are amplified by social media algorithms designed to maximize engagement. The psychiatrist called for a societal change in attitudes toward smartphone use among youth, advocating for limiting exposure to unrealistic images and reducing time spent online. The Online Safety Act, introduced this year, aims to protect children and adults online by requiring providers to implement systems to mitigate illegal and harmful content. The event, chaired by Douglas Ross, fostered discussion on the impact of smartphones and social media on young people's mental health and well-being.