Health Blog #4 Entry
Online communities, such as pro-anorexia and pro-mia sites, are meant to create an online community outside of the real world that unfortunately stigmatizes eating disorders. Pro-ana websites offer forums for those with “atypical weight beliefs” (Herrman, A. R., & Tenzek, K. E., 2017). Those that suffer from eating disorders often experience physical and mental problems, as well as social isolation, from the outside world and therefore confide in these types of online platforms to feel understood and validated.
Throughout the article, Communication Privacy Management: Thematic Analysis of Revealing and Concealing Eating Disorders in an Online Community, it is explained why those that suffer from these illnesses, such as eating disorders, turn to these social sites and that is to find others that experience similar issues. The researches begin by focusing on blogs, discussion forums, and narratives on a website calledwww.prettythin.com. The researchers goal was to look at the users narratives on this website in order to collect data of “managing tensions regarding controlling private information and boundaries with others” (Herrman, A. R., & Tenzek, K. E. 2017, p. 56). Researchers used communication privacy management (CPM) by familiarizing themselves with the data and then coding as a result. Themes were then identified. To give some background, CPM is a theory that basically talks about a set of rules or private information and the decision of whether or not to “reveal or conceal that private information” (Herrman, A. R., & Tenzek, K. E. 2017, p. 55). Information is explored and whether that information is broken or released is what can cause a new set of boundaries, rules, or “turbulence”. There are 5 principles that CPM uses to make sense of the theory as a whole.
As a result of this research, there were 2 themes and 2 sub-themes. The first theme, Personal Ownership and Control, discussed the fact that those that suffer from eating disorders consider their disorder(s) private and are adamant about controlling the information and whether or not it’s kept private. This type of communication used by these members gave them total control to deceive others especially family and friends from their information from ever being revealed. The other theme and sub-themes included Communication Choices Surrounding Disclosure, Seeking to fulfill needs face-to-face, and Positive fulfillment of needs online. These themes reveal how people living with eating disorders turn to an online platform to disclose information rather than offline in order to lessen the threat of feeling abnormal.
While looking at scholarly communication research, we can learn how personal experiences and media interpret the realities. Focusing on research, such as the one referenced in this blog, analyzes the interpretation of communication within those who have eating disorders which help to better understand in depth the behaviors and awareness that personal experiences and media are not able to provide. Personal experiences are rather important since they look through someone else’s lens in a world that only they can personally explain the realities of their own disease. Media, on the other hand explore how these diseases are hidden within a society that promote beauty and glam but hide the realities of the expense that people may be putting their life on the line. In conclusion, this research study is crucial in beginning to understand the stigma surrounding eating disorders and bringing awareness to those that are struggling. Learning the ways in which this community communicates is the first step in destroying that stigma and helping those heal.
Citations:
Herrman, A. R., & Tenzek, K. E. (2017, January). Communication Privacy Management: Thematic Analysis of Revealing and Concealing Eating Disorders in an Online Community.
Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.jpllnet.sfsu.edu
Health blog: Eating Disorders 