Twella Minute: Helping teens respond to "What I eat in a day" videos

When teens see a stream of “What I eat in a day!” videos, it can slowly train how they think about their bodies, health, and their self-worth.

Instead of just reacting (“Should I eat like this? Should I look like that?”), we can help them respond with self-awareness and critical reasoning.

But it requires repeated practice slowing down, checking in with themselves, and examining what this content is doing, how it’s trying to influence them.


After some practice they create a new thinking habit they can carry into any online space.

🪞Step 1 – Practice naming their inner response to ask:
• What emotions is this bringing up for me?
• Does this line up with what I actually value, or just what I feel pressured to want?
• What do I really know about this topic from trustworthy sources?

🔍 Step 2 – Practice examining the message and ask:
• Who is behind this, and what are they trying to get me to do or buy?
• What kind of evidence, if any, is being offered?
• What influence tactics are at work (angles, editing, music, “I just want to help” language)?

⚖️ Step 3 – Practice making a deliberate choice to ask:
“Given what I see now, is this reliable info? And how do I want to respond?”
With practice students start saying things like, “This post makes me feel anxious. person isn’t an expert and it’s just an opinion and a personal anecdote. They also want to “help me” with a special food tracking template they’re selling…”.

And then decide “These kinds of posts aren’t really useful to me at all. I won’t be clicking on them again.”

The result? Greater confidence, clarity, and critical thinking.

If you try this kind of repeated practice yourself or with young people in your life, I’d love to hear what you notice. Just hit reply and share any quick notes.

📌 P.S. I’m also collecting examples of online content that most shape how young people see themselves; if something specific comes to mind from your context, I’d be grateful to hear about it. Thanks 🙂