Earlier today, Jezebel published a piece — reblogged from the Jerusalem Post, based on a study at the University of Haifa — about how Facebook allegedly exacerbates eating disorders among young women. A survey of the Facebook, TV, and magazine consumption of 248 students concluded that the more girls who spent time on Facebook reported feelings of dissatisfaction and were at greater risk of developing anorexia or bulimia.
Of course, you can't blame emotional disorders entirely on Facebook, since, as Jezebel points out, girls predisposed to the diseases might just spend more time online anyway. But therein lies the situation that really caught my attention: Online pro-anorexia, pro-bulimia, and thinspiration communities. The Post claims that Facebook has replaced other pro-ana and pro-mia sites, but I don't think that's true — LiveJournal claims that distinction.
LJ allows users to search by interest; imagine my surprise, then, when I tried to find fan communities for the TV show Bones and ended up with a seemingly endless list of ED propaganda. The progress made on Facebook is apparent on only a fraction of LJ pages: Users have taken over public Facebook pages and kept the names, but have posted huge messages explaining (warning?) that these are pages meant to foster support and recovery for anorexics and bulimics. On LiveJournal, only a few pages reflect that takeover.
Many more still flaunt their ED sympathies, with users posting their daily food and water intake contrasted with the day's exercise and activity. They speak freely about the temptation that hounds them and the pain that cripples them. The numbers — current weight, goal weights, lowest weight, highest weight — are almost as shocking as the photos they idolize.
These women have suffered abuse, poverty, alcoholism, and death. Most astonishing, they've created families; some private communities restrict the number of members so as to encourage more posting and engagement with one another, rather than having random users come and go. They share playlists and offer the digital shoulder to cry on. It almost makes you forget what unites them.
A fascinating intersection comes when ED recovery groups advertise their own communities on pro-ana or -mia communities--for example, this post that a member of thefairgrounds posted to a bulimia group:
Hi! I am flitting through the ED communities AND ANYWHERE COOL PEOPLE (who don't think they're cool enough for this depressfest world) SEEM TO BE LOOKING FOR FRIENDS to let people know about a new one called "the fairgrounds" which is now open to all. And by all, I mean anyone at all who struggles with eating issues. It's not a competitive environment. The internet is a great leveller, and there will be no "grounds" for bullying or competing to be better at your disorder than anyone else. Self-harm is NOT encouraged. We want to support each other to take care of ourselves as PEOPLE, not victims of our problem. And it doesn't matter if that problem is undereating, overeating, bingeing, bingeing and purging, just purging, overexercise, or whatever -- if you identify with the label "eating disordered" and need a place where you can connect with others in a supportive way, then the fairgrounds could be for you. But, to play on the pun and give you "fair" warning (har har) the reason it's called the fairgrounds is also because it's intended for fun! You don't have to be restricted by rules and regulations, or feel unable to joke around and just express yourself and be you. It's a place to interact with others, because often... we only find out who are through relationships. This is the fuckin' clash, kids! We're making it up as we go along. You're welcome to come along for the ride.
Just remember to play fair. If problems arise, members can discuss it and put it to the vote. We believe in mutual respect, equality, and fairness.
THIS IS A "PRE-RECOVERY COMMUNITY". You don't have to be ready for recovery. No-one will force it on you. But we're not willing to pretend it's normal or acceptable to hurt ourselves either. Tips and encouraging others to hurt themselves won't be tolerated. Eating disorders are a problem and though we might not be ready to recover yet, that doesn't mean we should ever help each other self-destruct. Recovery stuff may need to be put under a cut but is welcome. Be warned if you are strong in recovery there may be a lot of triggering things too. We want everyone to be welcome, and to figure out a way to feel comfortable and supported at all stages of their disorder without shutting out the voice of recovery or glorifying the illness.
The response to these communities, both on LJ and Facebook, seems to be of the "tough love" variety, firm and slightly harsh. More than once I was surprised in my research when I clicked a link whose name suggested pro-ana — for example, anorexicqueen and proanorexia — and found that whoever had usurped control of the community didn't change the title. It's a way of luring ED sufferers in using language they recognize, a sort of bait-and-switch.
Maybe it's the best way to reach out to them.
[Jezebel]
Comments (0)
Be the first to comment!