New Survey Shows Just How Influential Social Media Is On Our Eating Habits

In our tech-drenched world, it's no shock that social media impacts every facet of our lives. Living every moment plugged into the internet has led to both good and bad results, and few areas have been untouched. Even food — what we eat and how we eat it — has been irreparably shaped by our social media culture. And a new survey shows just how closely the two are intertwined and how it affects our choices.

The International Food Information Council's most recent survey included a section covering social media's influence on our food habits. Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, the organization's president, explained in a statement provided to Food Business News, "Social media has morphed from a mere networking platform into a digital dining table, shaping our food choices, stirring culinary curiosity, and serving as a recipe for both clarity and confusion in our nutritional narratives." 

IFIC conducted its survey in April, collecting replies from 1,022 people. And the survey results indicate just how true that statement is, with 41% of respondents indicating they'd seen food and nutrition news on social media.

The survey's results offered a lot of insight into consumer trends and habits. When it comes to social media habits, the biggest segment of people who saw food content online was Gen Z at 71%, followed by millennials at 58%. Boomers, were at the bottom of the list, with less than a quarter saying they got food content from social media. More than half (60%) of folks replying said they thought social media encouraged healthier choices. But even more said social media could cause confusion, with 68% calling out the prevalence of conflicting information.

Food costs and inflation are an area of particular interest, with the number of people saying price impacted their buying choices rising nearly 8% to 76%, up from 68% just last year. And 91% of people said they'd seen an increase in prices over the year, echoing what most consumers have been feeling at the store. In addition to price concerns, environmental sustainability struck a chord; 34% said the impact to the environment affected their buying decisions.

Media and food have always been connected, and it's evident that's not ending anytime soon. Increasingly, people depend on social media to make choices when it comes to feeding themselves and their families. It's clear — culinary content is here to stay.