Trinity Caldwell, a first-year majoring in film and television, said that there’s not a day that goes by without seeing at least one piece of recommended gym content on her TikTok personalized feed.

Although Caldwell said she does see positive content about health and fitness online sometimes, social media tends to present it in a more negative light.

“Especially in our generation, we like to scroll a lot,” she said. “It can be not only unhealthy, but dangerous. Viewers may believe they need to do A, B and C, but that could be completely wrong and they end up hurting themselves instead.”

According to a 2024 study conducted by Zing Coach, an AI-powered fitness app, 56% of Gen Z utilize TikTok for fitness, nutrition and physical wellness advice.

Nick Pulley, a senior programming major, said the specific niche of fitness social media content they see now is very positive, but that they know creators who push out diet culture, toxic ideas and unrealistic standards are common.

Many Columbia students say that pressure is especially sharp on an arts-focused campus, where personal expression is so central to their work. 

The highly curated fitness aesthetic that dominates TikTok — chiseled bodies, rigid routines, and matching outfit sets — can clash with their creative identities. 

Instead of encouraging individuality, students said the algorithm often nudges them toward sameness, rewarding content that looks performative and hyper-disciplined. 

For some, the pressure to “look like” influencers they see online competes with their desire to move, train and feel strong on their own terms.

“For me, it’s totally about feeling good and building a strong, healthy body,” Pulley said. “I feel like I appreciate my body so much more now, and I appreciate what it can do. I may not always be happy with my appearance, but I can do all these things.”

Pulley has been going to the gym for about three years now, and said that their relationship with body image, goals and motivation have gotten increasingly better over time.

Mark Brticevich, a part-time instructor at Columbia who is teaching a personal wellness course this semester, said that online health culture can have both positive and negative outcomes.

While social media platforms are incredibly accessible, offer the freedom of working out at home and create a space for people to share different ideas, there is often misinformation or extremes. 

“The downside of some of the online stuff is it’s all about the creators; some of the creators are frauds, they’re not health and fitness experts,” Brticevich said. “You’ll find that like anything in life, if it’s too good to be true, it’s too good to be true. That’s where it can be misleading. That’s where it can be dangerous.”

He explained that content built around comparison, unrealistic goals and shame can be “detrimental” to a person’s psyche and self esteem.

Caldwell said that even though this type of content floods her social media at times, she knows that not everything seen online is real or true.

“I make sure to always research stuff I see on TikTok,” she said. “I might back it up by going to Google or even thinking about asking my doctor next time I have an appointment, because they know more than me.”

However, this is not the case for all. The same study from Zing Coach found that one in three Gen Z users don’t take the extra step to verify the information they see on TikTok.

Brticevich said that “this has been an age long problem.”

“I still think they look at the side effects of fitness, not the actual benefit of it. And the side effects are the aesthetics — the body, how you look — and that’s not nearly as important as how you feel,” Brticevich said. 

Junior music business student Ziel Chonillo said overall health is something that many college students see as important, but struggle to find the time for amidst busy school and work schedules. 

Chonillo said that even though online fitness content could be helpful for some, “it could get really toxic.”

“A lot of times we forget that these are just moment videos,” he said. “People like seeing the negative stuff that catches their attention; that’s what gets the most views. Positive gym stuff never gets attention.”

Early in his fitness journey, Chonillo said that he started to become like the influencers he saw online, posting videos and flexing on his profile picture. 

“I quickly realized that it’s just not me,” Chonillo said, “I feel like I have so many different qualities of myself beyond that.” 

Now since healing his relationship with fitness, nutrition and wellness, he has been going to the gym for two years at Columbia’s fitness center in the Student Center.

Brticevich said that finding a gym that feels like a safe space free of criticism is often one of the biggest hurdles for people looking to begin their own fitness journey. This is why many turn to online content.

He said the college’s fitness center and the people who work there are a great resource for students to get reliable advice, build community and feel welcomed, not judged. 

Columbia alum True Mills, who graduated in 2023 with a BFA in photography, now works as the fitness manager and a personal trainer in Columbia’s gym center. He said that the relaxed environment and kind people are what keep students coming back.

“Social media has this negative effect where people want to be trendy,” Mills said. “But if you can get into it and have fun doing it, and are surrounded by people who are helping you do that and are knowledgeable, then that’s how you can actually just create whatever your own definition of fitness is.”

Copy edited by Matt Brady