Seeking 'thinspiration' - pro-anorexia sites start social networking

Pro-anorexia websites offering tips on extreme dieting are nothing new, but their growth on social networking sites is a disturbing new twist and brings them within reach of a wider audience.

As a conversation opener, it's as blatant as it is troubling.

"What diet pills work best?" a young female user of a social networking site asks. The responses begin to trickle through from other members of the group which is an online meeting place for those people with anorexia.



Comments from Rebecca Yarowsky
Sad. And frightening, gd.

Apart from the cultural bombardment of unhealthy female images, the tacit and not-so-tacit media messages that "thin is desirable but skeletal is best", what prompts these women to aspire toward such an unrealistic and life-threatening condition?

I don't know much about the psychology of anorexia. It seems as if, on some level, these poor victims want, quite literally, to disappear and -- in the process -- become walking suicides. If that makes sense.

You bring up another issue, too, generald. The Web as a medium for the unchecked spawning of misinformation and propaganda -- whether it be chat rooms where teenagers encourage one another to starve themselves or sites where hatemongers spew without reprisal.

This new virtual reality. It has so much potential for good. And evil.

Yet? When we consider the introduction of monitoring mechanisms, we open up an entire new can of (scary) worms.

I'm stumped. Sigh





Comments from generald
find the irony troublesome: it is the media who perpetuate the notion that you have to be skeletal to be accepted and popular and happy, and they are very people who jump on pro-anorexia sites and people for supporting the condition.

That's not the main issue, of course, but it sticks in my throat. And I'm not saying that I condone or support pro-ana sites in any way shape or form. What is needed is the antidote to such sites, whatever form that would take.

But to the reason I seeded this piece:

It would be impossible to regulate sites like Myspace and Facebook. For example, there was some consternation this week about the British National Party (the National Front, basically) on Facebook (see here and here, if you're interested). Is this acceptable because the BNP's agenda is objectionable, or is it just plain and proper 1984-esque censorship? Similarly, regulating and banning pro-ana groups and individuals from social networking sites might not be the answer.

If I recall, this issue came up on livejournal a few years back (I've been on livejournal for years and years and years!) when attention was drawn to pro-ana communities on the site and it received mixed responses.


http://generaldecay.newsvine.com/_news/2007/08/08/884671-seeking-thinspiration-pro-anorexia-sites-start-social-networking