It’s difficult to not see them. If you use the internet or social apps like Facebook, Snapchat or Instagram, you will find them—hundreds of image-driven messages that glorify thinness and push the overwhelming belief that weight loss is good. If you’re an adolescent already struggling with age-appropriate issues like identity, self-image, peers and sexual behavior, you are undeniably influenced by what you see—bikini bodies, six-pack abs, fashion trends such as “skinny jeans”, latest hairstyles and craze in makeup.

What the digital world perpetuates is the pressure to be “camera-ready”, to look glamorous, cool, and fun—at all times. This pressure is what many parents and eating disorder experts alike are concerned about. It can lead to increased anxiety in teens to look perfect, an unhealthy dissatisfaction with their bodies, and a self-destructive path of behaviors in order to achieve said perfection.

Erica Trocino, the Lead Clinical Therapist at Rosewood Centers for Eating Disorders, has treated many adolescents grappling with eating disorders as a consequence of peer pressure and social media. On October 14, Rosewood invites you to a special presentation, led by Erica, “Digital Identity: Social Media, Body Dissatisfaction, and Disordered Eating Among Teens” at the Community Outreach Alliance at the VENUE, 1050 Calle Negocio San Clemente, CA. In this presentation, you will gain an understanding of the prevalence of eating disorders and body dissatisfaction among teens; the role of digital media in the formation of youthful identities; the ways in which social media perpetuates body dissatisfaction and disordered eating; and media literacy and available tools to help parents and teens navigate social media.

Erica holds a Masters of Counseling degree from Arizona State University, is an Internationally Certified Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor (ICADC), a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) and a Board member for the Arizona Board for Certified Addiction Counselors. Erica exudes a strong passion for mental health recovery utilizing a variety of therapeutic modalities such as dialectical behavior therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and motivational interviewing for patients struggling with eating disorders, substance abuse, and other co-occurring disorders treated at Rosewood.

For more information about Rosewood’s presentation, please contact 949-388-0114.