thisgirllovespasta

[thisgirllovespasta]

Final Words & Takeaways:)

Well girlies, we've reached the end. Before you go, though, I'm just going to make a few final notes and observations.

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After reading all my blog posts, one may assume that I am anti-Tumblr and anti-social media. This is not actually the case. When it comes to this issue, my thinking is non-binary.

What is non-binary thinking?

Non-binary thinking is a way of seeing things as complex and nuanced; it is the ability to understand and appreciate various perspectives and truths at once (Seth, 2024, pp. 5-6).

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That being said, where do I stand in terms of Tumblr and other social media? Well, I believe first and fore mostly that children should not have unrestricted access to the internet or any forms of media at that. That is simply a breeding ground for a slew of mental disorders later in life. I feel as though it is the responsibility of the caregiver to educate their children about the dark realities of using the internet. This includes establishing boundaries and promoting digital literacy are essential steps in protecting the well-being of individuals, particularly children, in the digital age we are in. As well as encouraging open dialogue and providing guidance on navigating online spaces responsibly can empower individuals to make informed decisions about their online interactions.

Fostering a balanced approach to technology use, coupled with active parent involvement and lifelong education, can help avoid certain risks associated with social media consumption such as developing a life-threatening illness like anorexia or bulimia.

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As for older folks (like me), it is all about knowing your own limitations and setting boundaries with yourself.

If you know you can't use Tumblr without ending up on pro-ana blogs, don't use Tumblr miss girl!!! Get off of there!!! But if you trust yourself to avoid those areas of Tumblr, then by all means, blog away!

For me, it is a bit of a mixed bag. Sometimes I can trust myself online and other times I can't. What helps me the most is being transparent with my trusted people. I keep my best friends, therapist, and mom informed about my mental states and depending on where I am at mentally, I receive the help and guidance that I need.

Some days are harder than others, but the bottom line is honesty. Honesty with yourself and honesty with others.

I ask myself "is what I am doing online right now beneficial for my recovery?" and if the answer is no, I log off. And if I am struggling to log off or look away, I reach out for help.

To close, here is my favourite poem of all time that inspires my recovery every day because it reminds me of the power of community care and self love.

Please know that you are never alone, even when it feels like it. You are NEVER alone. There are people who care about you, love you, and want to see you recover. So if you can't do it for yourself, do it for them. If you can't do it for them, do it for me, because I'm rooting for you. I love you, I'm glad I exist<3

Xoxo,

Maria<3

[thisgirllovespasta]

Advice to Our Younger Selves<3

For the last question of the interviews I conducted, I asked participants to give their younger selves some advice regarding social media use and body image. Here are three of those answers followed by my own advice to little Maria:)

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If you can't do it forever, don't do it. And that she's beautiful and deserves the world. 

You are what you eat and thus you are what you consume. You will find things that confirm your bias regardless of your outlook. The useless days add up to something, and it's all part of your becoming. Girlhood is incredibly tender, be kind. 

Being thin won’t make your problems go away. You need to cope with your mental health instead of starving yourself for the illusion of control. Food is fuel and depriving yourself of it almost killed you. I (you) am happy and ‘healthy’ now and you’ll never believe how cool we look. We have tattoos, piercings, green hair and we wear awesome outfits that we feel pretty in. We are not thin and we eat whatever we want and we are still happy. Don’t go searching for content to make you sicker, if anything search for content that inspires you to be kind to yourself. Social media is a tool; use it to build not destroy.

There is nothing wrong with you. There is nothing you need to change about yourself. Other people will try to tell you otherwise, but they are wrong. You are beautiful, you are kind, you are gentle, you are resilient. Please stop looking everywhere to find yourself, you are right here. Everything you need is inside of you. I love you more than you know. I love every version of you exactly as you are, and so does the people who deserve to be in your life. Please treat yourself with softness and love because you are the only person who can give you everything you need.

[thisgirllovespasta]

My Background and Analysis

Okay girlies, it's finally time for me to tell my story.

I first discovered Tumblr in 2011 when I was 9 years old. The original reason I was even on the internet to begin with was because one of my best friends introduced me to the world of Webkinz YouTube (Webkinz as in the stuffed animals, YouTube as in the video website, Webkinz Youtube as in pre-teen girls making YouTube videos about their Webkinz. It was my whole life back then) and a huge thing within the "KinzTube" community was making aesthetically pleasing Tumblrs and following each other on there. It was harmless and fun for a while, until one day I stumbled upon the pro-ana community.

I don't remember how I got there, though I do know it wasn't intentional. All I remember was my 9 year old eyes scanning the screen and taking in the thigh gaps, sunken in eyes, and prominent collarbones. I remember feeling sick from this, and closing the tab with immense guilt.

That was all for a while. I never ventured to pro-ana land for a long time after that. Unfortunately, despite this, my mind was permanently scarred with the images I had seen. After that fateful day, not an hour went by that I didn't think about my body, and the bodies of the girls I had seen on Tumblr. However, I did not adopt any disordered eating habits or behaviours for a few more years. I remained an avid Tumblr user, but I avoided pro-ana land like the plague.

Fast forward a few years to 2014: eighth grade, 12 years old. I have a distinct memory of being in the bathroom at my beloved Nan's house and noticing a stack of 'Prevention' magazines on the top of the toilet. I began to scan through the stack, reading the headlines on the covers: "tips to lose weight and keep it off!", "surefire diets for a slim waist!", "exercises to burn fat fast!", amongst other grabby catchphrases (see below for an example).

Reading through these magazines lit a fire within me that had been threatening to ignite since the very first time I laid eyes on "thinspo". I grabbed as many magazines as my little hands could carry, brought them into my bedroom, and spent hours reading about "moves that slim".

From that moment on, the fire within me burned bright and strong.

I cannot recall a singular moment since that day where I have not been consumed by my eating disorder.

When I was 15, my girlfriend at the time (who suffered from anorexia as well) brought up to me that they were worried about me and thought I had anorexia, to which I replied, "I am definitely not sick, I'm literally eating Subway right now!"

I was formally diagnosed at 16 by a psychiatrist that my school guidance counsellor practically begged me to visit. My mom had a session with the psychiatrist first, and told her about all the concerns she had regarding my eating, to which I responded "I don't have an eating disorder, I eat candy all the time!" The psychiatrist and my mom didn't accept my lies, and I was told that I had anorexia nervosa. My mom told my favourite teacher this, and I was monitored during lunch to make sure I was eating. This was much to my chagrin because my go-to was to "eat lunch" in the bathroom alone.

I had no intention of getting better until I was 18. I spent all of high school revelling in my disease. I loved it. My anorexia was like an old friend to me. She was someone who I could always count on, someone who made me feel completely in control, someone who made me feel proud and satisfied.

I lost my pre-teen years to my anorexia. I lost my teenage years to anorexia. And I am trying with every fibre of my being not to lose my young adult years to anorexia too.

And do you want to know why it was so easy for me to lose myself in my disease? Because ED culture is EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK!

A show I watched religiously since age 12, Modern Family, is a perfect example of how ED culture is perpetuated by television shows. There are so many examples of one of the main characters, Haley, casually bringing up ED behaviours, and absolutely nothing coming from it.

In season 4 episode 11, Haley says "my whole life is a hunger game, why do you think I'm so mean to you all the time?" is a quote engrained in my memory from this show.

Haley is portrayed as the young, hot, popular girl. Basically everything I ever wanted to be as a young person. A key element to her character is her eating disorder, though it is never actually named or talked about other than in the form of jokes.

Another example is my absolute favourite show of all time, Schitt's Creek. The character, Alexis, is much like Haley; framed as the hot, fashionable, bimbo. In season 2 episode 6, she orders a piece of chocolate cake at the cafe, to which Twla, the waitress replies, "I'm just not used to you ordering solid food".

These are just two examples of countless scenarios in which TV show characters have disordered eating habits that are glossed over and used as comic relief.

Myself as well as so many other people from my generation were socialized into a world that treated women with such disregard, no wonder so many of us ended up anorexic.

In reflecting on my journey through the tumultuous landscape of eating disorder culture, it becomes evident that the seeds of my struggle were sown long before I even realized it. Each step of my journey was shaped by the strong influence of societal narratives about body image and beauty standards.

As I grappled with my own demons, I couldn't help but notice how casually eating disorder behaviours were portrayed in popular media, reinforcing harmful stereotypes and trivializing the severity of these illnesses. It's clear that our society has been socialized into a culture that places thinness and perfection above all else, often at the expense of our mental and physical well-beings.

But amidst the darkness, there is also hope. By sharing our stories and shedding light on the insidious nature of eating disorder culture, we can challenge the status quo and pave the way for a more compassionate and inclusive society. It is my fervent hope that by raising awareness and advocating for change, we can prevent future generations from falling victim to the same destructive forces that robbed me and so many others of youth.

As I continue on my journey towards recovery, I am reminded of the resilience of the human spirit and the power of solidarity in overcoming adversity. Together, we can dismantle the harmful narratives that perpetuate eating disorder culture and create a world where every individual is valued and accepted for who they are, regardless of their size or shape.

[thisgirllovespasta]

The State of ED Tumblr Today

Massive trigger warning ahead girlies, view at your own risk.

I did a deep dive into the not-s-wonderful world of pro-ana Tumblr for the first time in a while and oh boy, was it sure a treat (sarcasm). I definitely regret doing that and will need to talk to my therapist about it, but it was in the name of research!

I found all of these posts by simply searching "pro ana". It was not hard to find at all, so, despit4e Tumblr's 2012 motion to limit self-harm content, it is still all too easy find pro-ana and pro-mia posts and images.

Alas, below are some screenshots of real and recent Tumblr posts within pro-ana/pro-mia communities to demonstrate that, despite Tumblr's regulations, the ED community is still going strong on this website. Something to note is the way in which these bloggers are getting around Tumblr's restrictions by changing the way they use hashtags to be more covert in nature.

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Above is a pinned post on a popular pro-ana blog called "crackfairy777". You can see examples of 'current weight' and 'goal weight' shown here, as well as a record of weight lost. This is the kind of content that has always been circulating in ED spheres since before I can remember. If you look at the hashtags, you can see some extremely dangerous things such as "I want to be skinnier" and "I want to starve".

Above is a comparison post that user "heroinmyhands" made in January 2023. You can see the "thinspo" tags, as well as "fasting", and hashtags related to drug use/addiction.

Above is a post made by user "illeatlater" romanticizing anorexia. This is a sentiment shared by many people who suffer from EDs; the fear of/resistance to recovery due to the comfort and familiarity that your ED can bring you.

Above is a post made by user "love-lorii" on September 1st, 2023 guilting people into restricting and following a calorie-deficit diet due to the fact that there are "low cal option[s] for anything. Note the tag "ed relapse".

Lastly, above is a post made by user "mochasw0rld" on October 1st, 2023 showcasing "mealspo", or inspiration for ED meals. This meal is a rice cake, almond milk, and what appears to be grapes covered in something (sugar perhaps). Neither of these are sufficient meals for anyone, but this is unfortunately the kind of "meals" many people with anorexia go for.

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Those were all pretty tough to look at, I know. I wish I could erase them from my mind. But it's important to realize what kind of content is circulating on the internet in present day because sometimes when people talk about ED Tumblr, they talk about it like it's a thing of the past. Unfortunately, early 2010s ED Tumblr has not gone anywhere, it has just gotten a tiny bit more disguised and a whole lot more dangerous.

[thisgirllovespasta]

Eating Disorders on Tumblr - A Socialization Lens

How is it that so many people get sucked into online spaces that romanticize and glorify eating disorders? How is it that anorexia and bulimia have become so prevalent in society, especially since the 1970s?

My hypothesis: socialization.

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What is socialization?

Socialization relates to the narratives we are fed from the world around us. It is "messages that we receive from mainstream culture about what groups mean and which group is 'better'" (Seth, 21 January 2024, pp. 13-14).

There are numerous methods in which socialization can occur, permeating various aspects of our lives. Mainstream media, including television, movies, and advertising, plays a significant role in shaping societal norms and values. Educational systems instil in us cultural ideals and historical perspectives, often reinforcing dominant narratives and marginalizing alternative viewpoints. Religious traditions teach moral and ethical frameworks, guiding individuals' perceptions of right and wrong (2024).

Additionally, cultural history and heritage contribute to our socialization by transmitting traditions, customs, and collective memories across generations. Family dynamics, peer interactions, and social institutions such as government and law further reinforce social norms and expectations (2024).

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How does all this relate to eating disorder Tumblr?

Well, to put it plainly, social media shapes us.

As we saw through the interviews I conducted, a similarity that existed between all participants was the young, impressionable age in which Tumblr use began at, followed by the drastic impact that the things the participants saw on Tumblr in relation to ED culture had on the participants self-esteem.

Tumblr contributes to the development and perpetuation of eating disorder culture by exposing individuals to media influences, peer interactions, cultural narratives, and community norms that normalize and reinforce disordered eating behaviours and beliefs about body image.

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In her 2019 article for Pacific Standard, Angela Y. Lee describes the experience she had with ED Tumblr in the early 2010s.

"Buried deep under my covers, I cried myself to sleep every night for months, illuminated by the glow of my phone screen showing me model after model after stick-thin model—each tagged, labeled, and raised on a divine digital pedestal with the words #beautiful, #inspiration, #goals, and #thinspiration. I wished the Internet could teach me how to look beautiful, how to lose weight. And the Internet delivered, slipping me tantalizingly easy advice on how to survive on 300 calories a day and how to starve the right way, carefully explained in floral lettering" (Lee, 2019).

The ways in which we engage with social media have long-lasting impacts on us. For so many of us, the side of the internet that we were on in our youths was teaching us directly how to have eating disorders. And this was normal. It was normal for us to go on our iPods late at night and consume content about weight loss and restriction without a second thought because we were socialized in the digital age. So many of us were raised in front of screens by parents who didn't fully understand the internet. Unrestricted internet access paired with consuming content both online and on TV, in books, and in movies raised an entire generation of people who didn't know any better.

Socialization shapes our online experiences just as it does our offline interactions, highlighting the interconnectedness of the digital and physical worlds in shaping our perceptions of ourselves and others.

[thisgirllovespasta]

Eating Disorders on Tumblr - An Intersectional Lens

What is intersectionality?

Coined by critical race scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw, intersectionality is a term that refers to the interconnected nature of social identities, such as race, gender, sexuality, class, and ability, and how they intersect to shape peoples' experiences and perspectives of the world. Intersectionality implies that these identities are not each separate from one another, but that they are intertwined, resulting in unique and multifaceted forms of discrimination, privilege, and power dynamics (Seth, 24 January 2024, pp. 5-6).

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Journalist Maggie Zhou recounts her experience with pro-ED Tumblr in a 2022 blog post for Refinery29 entitled "We Logged Off Tumblr Years Ago, But The Trauma Lingers On". Zhou explains how she started a Tumblr blog in 2012 for the same reason as the rest of us; for the fun, the aesthetics, the soft grunge photos of cute girls with flown hair wearing Aeropostale shirts and doing the infinity sign with their hands. But Zhou, also like the rest of us, was quickly thrusted into the dark underbelly of the Site and became yet another unsuspecting victim of early 2010s pro-ED content.

Despite the fact that Zhou has not thankfully struggled with disordered eating, she stated that "Tumblr’s insidious claws have shaped how I view bodies", and that the people she saw depicted in these photos "were stick-thin (sometimes sickly so), light-skinned, and traditionally beautiful. As a young teen, this fried my brain into thinking that looking this way was not only attainable, but totally essential to being viewed as attractive" (2022).

Being exposed to such images and content on the internet is a surefire way to poison one's young brain into believing the societally constructed lie that the beauty standard is what we should all be striving towards. Like Zhou said, she did not have an ED, but she still believed that she was less beautiful than the white skinny 'perfect' girls she was seeing on Tumblr.

For marginalized individuals, particularly young girls of color, the pressure to conform to these standards is compounded by racial stereotypes and societal expectations. Zhou's article highlights the importance of recognizing the intersectional dimensions of body image and beauty standards, urging us to consider how race, ethnicity, and other identities intersect with notions of beauty and desirability.

I have noticed that the conversation around the impact of ED Tumblr on people of colour is often neglected in mainstream discourse, despite the fact that it is crucial to understanding the full extent of the harm caused by these online communities. As we reflect on the images and messages that permeated ED Tumblr, it's essential to question whose bodies were centered and whose were marginalized.

[thisgirllovespasta]

Eating Disorders on Tumblr - Scholarly Accounts

I mentioned briefly the term "thinspo" in my last blog entry. I am now going to discuss this in more depth, as thinspo is a term that refers to content, usually in the form of images or text, that glorifies/idealizes extreme thinness as a standard of beauty or attractiveness. This is something that most interview participants noted having seen on Tumblr during the early 2010s that significantly contributed to the development of their eating disorders/disordered eating habits. According to a study done by Alberga et al., 2018, thinspo promotes "explicit encouragement of weight loss, objectifying content, and ... references to eating disorders" (p. 8).

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Branley & Covey, 2017 did a study using thematic analysis to compare and contrast posts on Twitter and Tumblr in relation to pro-ana and anti-and content. In their results, Branley and Covey stated that certain individuals who created pro-ana content seemed to measure their 'progress' based on the extent of their food restriction or the duration of their fasting periods. They viewed demonstrating self-discipline over hunger as a form of accomplishment. Additionally, they considered signs of hunger as positive signs of success, likening the sound of a rumbling stomach to applause. Additionally, many ED blogs would reach out to other ED blogs asking for help with restricting behaviours such as fasting (p. 3).

Branley and Covey also noted the motivational essence of many of the pro-ED blogs/posts they analyzed, stating that "eating disorders were portrayed as a lifestyle choice in some posts with users sharing 'motivational material'" (p. 3). This is an unfortunate truth about the world of pro-ED Tumblr. Despite the fact that most people do not start out wanting to have an ED, many pro-ED blogs create the illusion that anorexia is a lifestyle, that it is something you should strive toward, that it will make you happier and make your life better. This narrative is extremely dangerous, as it can trick impressionable people into thinking the cure-all for their self-dissatisfaction is starvation.

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In 2019, Wilksch et al. did a study entitled "The relationship between social media use and disordered eating in young adolescents". They examined data from 996 seventh and eighth grade students (534 girls and 462 boys) and Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Tumblr. The findings of this study suggested a positive correlation between number of social media accounts and higher likelihood of developing disordered eating (103). This made sense to me; the more time spent on the internet, the higher the likelihood of one encountering pro-ED content and thus, engaging with it.

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In their 2023 study, Greene and Brownstone discussed one of pro-ED Tumblr's most harmful traits: measurements and number-tracking. They reported that their "simple analysis of our Tumblr dataset showed that users’ bios were strikingly dominated by numerical measures and indications of self-tracking" (p. 515). This is a disturbing truth about Ed Tumblr. Many, many pro-ED blogs publicly post about their weight and bodily measurements to keep themselves and others accountable for their weight loss goals. Greene and Brownstone also found that "many Tumblr bios were entirely or primarily devoted to different past and future weight markers, as well as frequently updated current weight sections". The whole 'current weight' and 'goal weight' is a huge part of ED Tumblr. People will obsessively track their 'current weights' with the hopes of one day reaching their 'goal weights', which are usually extremely unhealthy weights for their personal constitutions.

[thisgirllovespasta]

Eating Disorders on Tumblr - Participant's Accounts

To examine the way in which Tumblr perpetuated pro-ana/pro-mia culture, I conducted several interviews with people who have lived experiences with ED Tumblr during the 'heyday' (early 2010s).

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To select participants for these interviews, I made a post on my Instagram story calling for people who have experience dealing with pro-ana/pro-mia Tumblr in the early 2010s to reply to my story if they were interested in answering some questions about said experience. Each time someone replied to my story, I would ask for their email, email them the questions, await their response, and then collect the data into Word. The identities of the participants are varied in terms of race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexuality, socioeconomic status, and age. However, all of the respondents are between 22 and 28 years old. The names of the participants will not be revealed publicly.

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One of the first questions I asked to my participants was why they joined Tumblr in the first place. Everyone joined for a different reason, but something that stuck out to me was how innocent all of their reasons for joining Tumblr were. None of the participants stated that they joined Tumblr to immerse themselves in the world of pro-ana or pro-mia content, in fact, most participants did not even have an ED before joining the site. They joined Tumblr to look at art, to express themselves, to engage with their fandoms (fandoms are fan-based communities about specific media, literature, music, etc) or because their friends were on Tumblr and they were curious. This made me really sad to think about the young, naive, pre-teens and teenagers who just wanted to explore a new form of social media for leisure that ended up leading them to a dark place where should ever venture.

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All participants reported encountering pro-ana/pro-mia content on Tumblr during the early 2010s that included things such as tips for weight loss, thinspo/fatspo/bonespo, and meal plans (thinspo/fatspo/bonespo are photos of emaciated people used to inspire others to lose more weight).

Due to exposure to this content, the majority of participants expressed detrimental impacts on they self-esteem, body image, and eating habits. They reported feelings of inadequacy, comparison, and the adoption of unhealthy weight loss strategies.

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Another question I posed to participants surrounded Tumblr's implementation of a rule to prohibit the circulation of self-harm content in 2012, which included promoting eating disorders. I asked participants if they felt as though Tumblr did an adequate job at censoring this type of content. Participants noted that such content still persisted on Tumblr, just hidden under different hashtags or disguised language.

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Several of the participants highlighted the lasting effects of their exposure to pro-ED content on Tumblr, with some still struggling with disordered eating to various degrees.

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The findings from these interviews bring to light the severity of the role that Tumblr played in the normalization of pro-ED behaviours during the early 2010s. Although the site made somewhat of an attempt to abolish self-harm-related content, it continues to show up in various ways on the platform, posing an ongoing risk to vulnerable and impressionable people.

[thisgirllovespasta]

History of Eating Disorders

Now, we are going to be discussing the history of eating disorders .

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Eating disorders (EDs) have a long history dating back centuries. While they may seem like a modern phenomenon associated with popular 20th and 21st-century culture, such as magazines, supermodels, and diet pills, the history goes back thousands of years. According to Britt Berg, M.S, of the Eating Recovery Centre, as early as the 12th century, women engaged in fasting as part of religious practices (2023). The recognition of symptoms of anorexia dates back to the 17th century when a British doctor coined the term "wasting disease" (2023). However, it wasn't until the 19th century that awareness grew that eating disorders could affect both men and women (2023). Interestingly, before 1873, EDs were largely seen as folkloric tales, often depicted in stories of women fasting because of their devotion to God during the 12th century (2023). During the early 20th century, bulimia was finally formally recognized by medical professionals, alongside anorexia (2023). Over the course of the 20th century, awareness surrounding eating disorders increased (2023). Unfortunately, the prevalence of anorexia and bulimia began to surge during the 1970s (2023). Due to the rise in cases of EDs throughout the 70s, awareness became more mainstream as popular celebrities became outspoken about their own experiences battling EDs (2023), and in 1980, the DSM 3 officially added eating disorders to their list of mental disorders (anorexia was listed in 1980 and bulimia was listed in 1987) (2023).

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So, with this long and brutal history of eating disorders, where do we stand in terms of Tumblr and how it contributed to the rise of EDs in the early 2010s? Let's unpack that in the next post.

[thisgirllovespasta]

Background Information

Hi girlies<3 Maria here! To start us off, I think it would be valuable to talk about the background and history of this social justice issue. I'll start with a brief history of the Tumblr site itself and explain what pro-ana/pro-mia culture actually is.

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Tumblr was launched by David Karp, a New Yorker from the Upper West Side, in 2007 (Eldridge, 2023). The purpose of the creation of Tumblr was to be home to what Karp called "tumbleblogs", which are smaller blogs to host text, photos, and videos (Eldridge, 2023). During the early 2000s, blogs were a very popular form of media consumption; cooking blogs, lifestyle blogs, travel blogs, etc. What stood out about Tumblr was the fact that Tumblr was a 'super blog' of sorts that hosted many of these smaller 'tumbleblogs'. Tumblr users could follow other 'tumbleblogs' and 'reblog' posts including texts, photos, and videos to their own blogs as well as posting original content. The original atmosphere on Tumblr was "ease of use and a positive environment" (Eldridge, 2023), which drew people to the site in hopes of finding online communities to share interests with.

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With all of this being said, one may wonder how a website created for such innocent reasons could so quickly become a dark corner of the internet that breeds self-harming behaviours, including eating disorders (EDs).

Before we go into that, though, let's talk about pro-ana and pro-mia. What even are those words? If you've never been on Tumblr or the weird, niche areas of the internet (lucky you), you probably don't know.

Pro-ana translates to pro-anorexia, and pro-mia translates to pro-bulimia. Anorexia and bulimia are two life-threatening eating disorders that effect about 1 million Canadians (National Initiative for Eating Disorders, 2023). According to the National Eating Disorder Information Centre, anorexia is a mental disorder that is characterized by a fear of gaining weight, obsessive behaviours related to restriction and purging, and excessive weight loss (2024). Again, according to the NEDIC, bulimia is a mental disorder characterized by binge eating behaviours followed by purging behaviours (2024). Eating disorders are extremely dangerous conditions to suffer from. Many people may not realize the severity of EDs, however, here are some jarring statistics that may put things more into perspective from the National Initiative for Eating Disorders: EDs have the highest mortality rate out of all mental illnesses (10-15%), cardiac disease and suicide are the top two causes of death amongst people with anorexia, and the mortality rate of anorexia for girls ages 15 to 24 is 12 times higher than all other causes of death for girls in that age range put together (2023). See below for the DSM diagnostic criteria for both anorexia and bulimia.

Above images are courtesy of the National Eating Disorder Information Centre (2024).

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Stay tuned for part 2!

[thisgirllovespasta]

Introduction

Welcome to my girlblog<3 This is for my 'Deep Inquiry Project' for CODE 3583! The purpose of this project is to take a really good look at a social justice issue from multiple different perspectives (crystallization) using historical evidence, an analysis of the current situation, relation to course concepts, and a variety of sources to build your case. The topic I have chosen to tackle for this project is eating disorder culture on Tumblr in the early-mid 2010s. This topic is very close to my heart, as I will explain in the next post, so doing research on it was very therapeutic for me. I decided to present my project in the form of a Tumblr blog because how fun is that?! Despite it's flaws, I have always loved this silly website, so making a special girlblog just for this project seemed like the perfect homage. Yay!!!