Young peoples' use of phone apps to monitor and improve their health has led to "obsessive behaviour, anxiety and terror", a study has suggested.
The Digital Health Generation said children as young as eight were using the internet as part of their quest for fitness, a six pack or a thinner body.
It warned the use of fitness trackers, while "potentially motivating, could lead to obsessive behaviour".
Respondents also said the apps should identify when users needed to stop.
Jack Bardzil, 19, from Bath, said he could see how fitness trackers and apps could make people paranoid.
"There are heartbeat monitors and in the future they might have glucose monitoring... these things can lead to paranoia," he said.
And he said the way social media sites sometimes promoted content based on users' previously-viewed material felt "upsetting.... [as] they can keep shoving it down your throat".
The survey noted the use of health and fitness apps could contribute to some young people over-exercising or engaging in harmful dietary practices.
One respondent, named Leif, said society judged people by their appearances and many went to great lengths to improve their physique.
"There's a fine line between going too far and developing an obsession," he said.
"I think, a lot of these fitness apps... you're not seeing the results you want to see instantly.
"I'll look in the mirror and be like 'Why am I not ripped yet?'."
Another respondent, Daphne, said she had become obsessed with an app that tracked her food intake and exercise and her sister had told her to delete it from her phone.
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