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Cybersmile Announce Ed Sheeran as April’s Cybersmiler of the Month Award Winner

Having started his healing journey 2 years ago, Ed shared that he found himself in a pattern of binge eating, which had been driven in part by comparison culture. If you are affected by anything touched on within this article, follow the links to our various support services or click on the blue logo icon at the bottom right of the screen to start using Cybersmile Assistant, our smart AI support assistant.

Cybersmile are excited to announce Ed Sheeran as April’s Cybersmiler of the Month Award winner for addressing stigma around men speaking openly about eating disorders and other mental health struggles.

The singer-songwriter revealed in April’s issue of Rolling Stone magazine how he had been dealing with an eating disorder while also dealing with grief and difficult circumstances affecting his loved ones and closest friends.

Having taken the decision to seek therapy, Ed shared details of his personal struggles and how he had been affected mentally – struggles which Ed feels are often left unspoken amongst men.

“There’s certain things that, as a man talking about them, I feel mad uncomfortable. I know people are going to see it a type of way, but it’s good to be honest about them. Because so many people do the same thing and hide it as well.”

Ed Sheeran, Cybersmiler of the Month

Having started his healing journey 2 years ago, Ed committed to cutting out various substances that were affecting him deeply, but shared that he found himself in a pattern of binge eating, which had been driven in part by comparison culture, which is prevalent in the entertainment industry where there is high pressure on public figures to aspire for unrealistic body and beauty standards.

“I’m self-conscious anyway, but you get into an industry where you’re getting compared to every other pop star. I was in the One Direction wave, and I’m like, ‘Well, why don’t I have a six pack?’ And I was like, ‘Oh, because you love kebabs and drink beer.’ Then you do songs with Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes. All these people have fantastic figures. And I was always like, ‘Well, why am I so . . . fat?’”

We want to thank Ed for his efforts to break down the stigma associated with disordered eating among men, reminding those struggling that it is ok to reach out for help and to talk about this issue. Ed, you truly are our Cybersmiler of the Month!

Comparison culture and self-image problems can have a powerful impact on our mental health and wellbeing – potentially leading to devastating consequences. Our Digital Wellbeing 2022 report identified a number of areas where social media use and social comparisons were negatively affecting people’s lives.

Key findings from Digital Wellbeing 2022 include:

  • 46% of respondents indicated that social media makes them want to permanently change a part of their body through surgery.
  • 87% of respondents indicated that content on social media makes them feel pressured to be perfect.
  • 85% of respondents indicated that social media negatively affects the way they feel about their own body.
  • 89% of respondents indicated that social media negatively affects their mental health.
  • 77% of respondents indicated that social media negatively affects their physical health.
  • 89% of respondents indicated that they feel unsatisfied with their life when comparing it to others on social media.
  • 86% of respondents indicated that social media use makes them feel anxious.
  • 32% of respondents indicated that they feel addicted to bad news online.
  • 33% of respondents indicated that they don’t feel safe to share their opinions and views online.
  • 44% of respondents indicated that they are worried they have an addiction to social media.
  • 52% of respondents indicated that they feel better when they spend less time on social media.
  • 51% of respondents indicated that their sleep is negatively impacted by the amount of time they spend online.
  • 32% of respondents indicated that their diet is negatively impacted by the amount of time they spend online.
  • 32% of respondents indicated that their exercise is negatively impacted by the amount of time they spend online.
  • 40% of respondents indicated that their study is negatively impacted by the amount of time they spend online.

You can explore the Cybersmiler of the Month Award winners Hall of Fame to see a full list of previous recipients and learn more about becoming a brand sponsor of the award here.

If you are affected by anything touched on within this article, we can help you. Visit our Help Center or click on the blue logo icon at the bottom right of the screen to open Cybersmile Assistant, our smart AI support assistant.

To learn more about Cybersmile and our work, please explore the following recommendations:

How amazing is this from Ed? Let us know your thoughts by contacting us or tweet us @CybersmileHQ.