Controversy on Pro Anorexic Websites
Through social networks such as Youtube.com, Myspace.com, Facebook.com, and online journals such as Livejournal.com and Xanga.com, promoting eating disorders has been easier than ever. Through these websites, many people are able to communicate with each other and support each other in a lifestlye that would be otherwise thought of as unacceptable.
According to FoxNews.com, "Charities involved with eating disorders have called for tighter controls on the Internet after it emerged that popular social-networking sites such as MySpace and YouTube were being used to promote anorexia." The growing increase in the popularity of these websites have caused much controversy due to the deadly lifestyle that proana/promia members are promoting. Such a controversy proposes the question, "Should these this type of content in popular social networks be banned?"
In TimesOnline.com a journalist by the name of Helen Nugent, wrote an article entitled "Social network sites are urged to ban ‘hardcore’ anorexia videos". This article was published online in August 10,2007. In reference to Facebook and Myspace she writes:
"On Facebook, some groups extol the virtues of anorexia as a lifestyle choice. MySpace’s groups include one that has more than 1,000 members. Its rules state: “No people trying to recover. It ruins our motivation.”
Because of the internet, marginalized social groups have found a way to connect and support their lifestlyes without ever having to leave the comfort of their home. The danger in this is that their is a growing number of teens who are suffering and dying from anorexia. In reality, is there really a way to ban these websites? Though these websites are dangerous, there are also website on the internet that promote racism, group suicide, murder etc.
According to Nugent's article on TimesOnline, this is what one representative of an Eating Disorder organization had to say about banning such websites:
"Deanne Jade, principal of the National Centre for Eating Disorders, said:
“I have no firm view that YouTube should ban them, they only pop up again in a different guise."
Though people find these websites disturbing, trying to ban these cites are nearly impossible.
These featured online newsarticles were found on a proanorexia site that had a section dedicated to online news in reference to Anorexia. The site is called "Proanorexia" and the link to their news section is http://net33.us/proanorexia/.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
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1 comment:
I keep finding articles online about your topic...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080415/wr_nm/france_anorexia_dc
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