How to Inform

I feel the blog has been a great way for our team to narrow our intentions for this feature. By documenting our ideas we have watched their chronological progression. An aspect I wished to highlight within our feature is one that I feel may tie in with the idea of including a backgrounder page. The backgrounder page was to provide a contextual framework for our readers who will be informed on the prevalence of anorexia nervosa as a psychological illness, as well as the narrative of pro-ana in the online world. To include a chronological outline of the existence of pro-ana websites and communities online, will also highlight the development and increasing complexity of such communities, in line with the technological development and evolution of the internet, particularly as freely hosted web-rings and more recently, social media sites have gained popularity.

An article by Karen Dias offers an informed opinion on the idea of pro-ana communities thriving on the idea of anonymity, and sanctuary, a community in existence separate from the “surveillance of the public sphere” (2003). Early warning symptoms of anorexia nervosa can include exclusion, secrecy and isolative behaviour, where cyber space can provide refuge from the physical built environment, and becomes an arena for communication between others suffering from eating related disorders. What is in fact ironic, is that cyber space is a public space, and as Dias argues, it can in fact appear more abnormal to discuss and divulge intimate problems and psychologically diagnoses’ of one’s self in a public space to members of society. What exacerbates the issue further is a misunderstanding of eating disorders and also technology. To dismiss the stigma and shame associated with sufferers who use the online realm for either support, or to exist within a pro-ana community online, I feel information on the illness, the cultural codes on the body that are being reproduced, as well as the technology used by such communities is to be explained.

The rise of web-rings and freely hosted websites at the start of the millennium was the first occurrence and existence of pro-ana communities online. As the internet has evolved, and particularly as social media has heightened it’s presence, blogs and personal networking pages have become new sites for pro-ana communities to exist. What is significant about such a trend, is that such personal blogs are often means for a sufferer to define their identity through the illness, as well often include a strong voice of defence, with a right expressed to embrace their ‘lifestyle choice’. What can be confusing, is when the idea of sickness, or psychological illness is removed from such sites, and what the backgrounder can hope to acheive for readers, much like the tone of an article from Curtin University, is a documentation on the height and development of pro-ana communities, that will prepare for a better understanding of the issue, and facilitate the perspective of psychologists, and importance of offering strategies for recovery and support.

Food for Thought (no pun intended)

Medical professionals treating eating disorders have long noted that patients in recovery programs often band closely together for emotional support and validation.  This can be likened to Podolny & Page's explanation of the benefits of network forms of organization as the "accrual of legitimacy or status for individual agents from being part of a larger network" and "minimizing forms of vulnerability arising from resource dependency upon others (1998: 62-6).  Anorexics may collectively normalize their condition, defending it not as an illness but as a “lifestyle choice” and an accomplishment of self-control that is essential to their identity.  The danger of this “community validation” in the online sphere is evident when looking at the anonymity and accessibility ensured by the internet. 


Anti-anorexia groups argue that “pro-ana” websites (as they are called within the online community) have become instrumental in maintaining the cycle of the disease by providing community and encouragement to those who would otherwise be isolated in their condition.  Castells (2004: 221) has insisted, in relation to the Internet and the network society, that "without specific technologies some social structures could not develop".  As we can see, the social structure developing on these online pro-ana communities has been facilitated completely by internet technologies.  Benkler (2006: 17) furthers that "different technologies make different kinds of human action and interaction easier to do and more likely to be done, and things that are harder to do are less likely to be done".


Our web feature will aim to create an accommodating and nurturing environment that promotes awareness and transparency of these sites in an empathetic and informed way. It could be set up as an online site connected to The Butterfly Foundation, ReachOut Australia or even a Government website that deals with mental health issues and disorders, such as HNEAHS.

In terms of Internet censorship, it’s very hard to decide where to draw the line in a practical sense. Wherever it's drawn, you will allow something bad to slip through at the margins and some legitimate activity could be banned. For instance, how does one program a computer filter to distinguish between a “pro-ana” site and a site aimed at helping parents understand their anorexic children, the way the condition progresses, their strategies and the way they think about it? The words will very likely be the same, only the context changes.


Benkler, Y. 2006, The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom, Yale University Press, New Haven CN. 


Castells, M. 2004, 'Afterword: Why Networks Matter', in H. McCarthy, P. Miller, and P. Skidmore (eds), Network Logic: Who Governs in an International World?, DEMOS, London, pp. 221-4.


Podolny, J. and Page, K. 1998, 'Network Forms of Organization', Annual Review of Sociology 24, pp. 57-76.

Using Photos of Anorexic People: Effective or Unethical?

Author: Janine, Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinkcotton/3906050652/

 

 

Steph's question on whether we should use photo's of anorexic people beings up many issues. The risk of using such images includes inspiring sufferers to be that skinny, making our feature seem like an anti pro-ana forum, or further alienating people with anorexia by framing them as a spectacle. The benefits are the shock-factor of the images visually engagers users, highlight the gravity of the illness, and force the reality of the culturally devalued illness into the public domain.

It would be good to hear from others in the group, but personally I feel these photos should only be used if they specifically relate to one of our pieces. It is not an issue of further propagating thinness as Benjamin Radford notes, 'Images of thin people cannot "encourage" anorexia, any more than images of cancer patients "encourage" cancer, or photos of diabetics "encourage" diabetes.'[1] I just think having such images on, say, the front page of our feature is a gratuitous way of drawing in users and misleading them into thinking our feature is an anti pro-ana site (like the visually driven piece on 'Don'tPanic') rather than a neutral investigation into pro-ana sites. If, for example, our interview with the psychologist focuses deeply on the isolated and sickening mind frame of users of pro-ana sites, then images like Steph's may be appropriate. However, until we have relevant content, I think we should shy away from relying on these images for aesthetic pull.

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[1]Radford, B. Thinspiration: Do Web Sites Encourage Anorexia? 19 November 2009. URL: http://www.livescience.com/5881-thinspiration-web-sites-encourage-anorexia.html.

How to generate debate?

The Economist Debates - http://www.economist.com/debate/overview/209

I've been doing some research into the censorship debate surrounding these sites, and think a key way to get the public properly engaged is to facilitate our own form of online debate. Two members of our group could write an opinion piece on either proposition, and then allow user's to contribute their own arguments. The Economist Debates are a really good model, maximising the medium through ongoing polls, user comments and links to 'background reading.' We would probably steer away from the formality of the 'Oxford Style' debate as our target audience is broader than The Economist. However the overall format and levels of interaction looks like great model to go off if we want  to generate similar levels of user participation.

Our place on the web

Chesley et al [1] identify three different types of websites associated with anorexia (click for examples of each):

1) pro-ana sites                                                

2) pro-recovery sites                      

3) professional organisations      

I think our feature should embrace the fact it doesn't quite fit into these categories, operating more as an informal middle-man between the pro-ana and pro-recovery sites. There is online information which take a similar investigative approach to ours, including medical blog sites such as Doctor Anonymous and articles like 'Totally in Control' and 'Anorexia Goes High Tech.' This information is all quite comprehensive, but within each site, it operates in isolation as a single feature. As Mike Ward notes,  

 "If the online story is a single pyramid, most of the elements (which are fundamental rather than value added) are made peripheral rather than integral."[2]

The strength/uniqueness of our feature will be in its segmentation (ie 5+ links to separate pages), ensuring users appreciate the equally 'integral' elements of our investigation.

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[1] Chesley EB, Alberts JB, Klein JD, and Kreipe RE (2003) Pro or con? Anorexia nervosa and the internet. Journal of Adolescent Health 32(2): 123-4.

[2] Ward, Mike. (2001) Journalism Online. Boston: Focal, p 124.

Refining our objective

The Purpose

As we are in the process of finalising our pitch, it's important the exact purpose of our feature is clear. Ultimately, we want to develop an interactive investigative piece which taps into the easily concealable, sophisticated network of “pro-ana” (pro-anorexia) websites - sites which glorify the disorder of anorexia as a lifestyle choice, and supporting those who have made that choice.

Our feature is not an attempt to demonise these forums, nor to align ourselves with pro-recovery sites or operate as our own support network for victims of anorexia. Rather, we are focusing on unveiling the prevalence, content, tactics and effectiveness of pro-ana websites.

The Need

As Steph pointed out in her post ‘OUT OF ‘SITE,’ Our of Mind,’ in the past few years the move to censor pro-ana sites has been gaining pace. There is general public engagement in the question of internet regulation, but the debate is dominated by issues of child pornography, while analysis of others sites subject to potential regulation is often overlooked, as seen in the recent national IQ² debate on internet censorship. 

Due to their highly guarded nature (often only allowing users to access the site through membership), pro-ana sites in particular fall under the radar. To encourage an informed debate and engage the pubic, our feature should aim to draw more detailed attention to pro-ana websites and question how dangerous they really are. We will have to look more closely into the nature of our target audience (politically engaged australians) to work out the best ways to attract users to not just visit, but navigate through all the features/links of our site.

Layout: keeping visitors on our page

Pretty Thin
http://www.prettythin.com/thinsposet2.htm

Our web feature will require a creative but easily navigated layout in order to hold the attention of our target audience. I particularly like the funky yet simple layout of the anti-discrimination activist wordpress site ‘The Anti-Bogan’.The site uses an instantly recognisable red and white font on a black background. We should follow this example; consistency is key. The web feature should also include a section encouraging users to research the issue further and should supply a wide range of links to other sites on topics of anorexia, online communities, censorship in Australia etc. In terms of our social media strategy, it is important to include a 'Share this' section with a list of options (complete with icons) such as: Facebook, Twitter, Print, Email. This encourages the sharing of information online. An important ethical decision will have to be made regarding whether or not our web feature should post/link to images and sites such as 'Pretty Thin'.

The web feature will include a profile on Sharon Hodgson, founder of the site 'WeBiteBack', which exists as a place for recovering anorexics to find support and community. Before her recovery, Sharon herself once operated a pro-ana website and so her views on the topic of censoring these sites would be very interesting to hear.

Who do we want to reach? What do we want them to do?

The purpose of our web feature will both influence and be influenced by the target audience because, as Dean (2010) argues, we are not targeting "an imaginary community of everyone (in the nation, state or city)” (p 46). We aim to fill a knowledge gap in the community concerning the various ways anorexia might be hindered or helped by online media, particularly in relation to online communities and forums. We are thus targeting politically minded and socially aware individuals who are interested in mental health; this automatically includes concerned family and friends who are seeking information. In terms of reaching the target audience, publishing the web feature as part of the National Youth Mental Health Foundation's website 'Headspace' would grant access to both young people suffering from the disease but also professionals in the mental health community. 'Headspace's' strategy is in synch with our aims to reach both everyday interested citizens and professionals.

A search of sites dealing with anorexia from a medical perspective, such as 'Medicine.net', 'The Butterfly Foundation', and 'Eating Disorders Victoria' demonstrated that while there are existing websites that offer factual information and guidance on the issue of anorexia, there is a significant lack of information available about the way the disease operates in an online environment. This needs to be rectified as such a significant Australian issue deserves appropriate representation online.

Given some of the information and interviews we plan to include, it will be necessary to ensure that our web feature does not become associated with the pro-ana movement against censorship. A strong online presence in the form of a Twitter account and Facebook page should allow sufficient avenues through which to monitor our image. A Twitter account is particularly necessary if we wish to draw the attention of bloggers to our web feature because, as Dean (2010) notes, 73 percent of bloggers use Twitter regularly (p 36)

References:
Dean, J. 2010, 'The Death of Blogging'. In Blog Theory: Feedback and Capture in the Circuits of Drive, London: Polity, pp 33-47

Out of ‘SITE’, Out of mind

Following the drastic action of the passing of a bill outlawing pro-ana websites in the French National Assembly, a number of pro-ana websites and blogs were driven underground in a bid to avoid detection and possibly prosecution from authorities. Crawford (2003) argues that such censorship is "not so much a new means of control as an old means applied to a new medium", challenging the traditional view of the Internet as possessing an "inbuilt immunity from censorship and control" (p 150 ). While the debate over the plausibility and ethics of internet censorship as a whole continues to rage, the ramifications for Australia are particularly concerning given the current government’s proclivities. Despite the shelving of the mandatory ISP filter, Federal Labor MP Anna Burke has explicitly called for the banning of “pro-ana” sites, claiming that "Australian girls and women should not be subjected to such dangerous material on the internet”. The Secretary-General of Reporters Without Borders, Jean-Francois Julliard, specifically addressed the proposition of banning pro-ana sites amongst the "blacklist of already banned websites…that threatens freedom of expression” in an open letter to the Prime Minister. The threat of the Australian government driving Australian-based pro-ana sites out of the self-moderating mainstream and into illegal enclaves controlled by purveyors of dangerously unregulated information would put many of our society’s most vulnerable at great risk. Banning these sites merely hides a visible symptom of a much deeper societal problem, eschewing the possibility of engagement and treatment in favour of a dangerous politically motivated pseudo-solution of 'out of sight, out of mind'.

References:
Crawford, K. 2003, 'Control-Shift: Censorship and the Internet'. In Remote Control, Cambridge University Press: Melbourne, pp 149-157

Senator Conroy on the Perceived Benefits of Censorship

Hungry Beast
http://hungrybeast.abc.net.au/stories/stephen-conroy-extended-interview

Dying to be Thin

Blogs and websites that validate anorexia are one of the potential targets of the Australian Government's Internet censorship plan.  New developments in technology in the online realm have facilitated in the production of self-help websites that attempt to validate dangerous diseases like anorexia by normalizing and strengthening the thoughts of people with eating disorders.  As networks constitute the new social morphology of our societies (Flew 2008: 80), these online environments can be seen as a new form of social interaction for those who find it difficult to belong in our everyday societies. 

Such websites affectionately personify themselves as “Ana”, a girl that these sufferers confide in and share destructive information with as a means of normalizing their behaviour.  Therefore, these websites provide an accessible and accepting online environment for sufferers to share their stories and tips for staying thin.  

It is this social aspect of anorexia and its strong link to social relationships that I find most intriguing.  Social anthropologist and professor at Adelaide University, Megan Warin has done extensive research into the social impacts of anorexia and has written a book entitled Abject Relations: Everyday Worlds of Anorexia.  What I found interesting about her was that, based on her work with people who have the eating disorder, she found that anorexics often lack a sense of belonging and feel disconnected from society and therefore, by controlling their eating, they end up belonging to a group of people who are “successful” at dieting.  Why this is relevant is because she suggests that the existence of pro-anorexia websites provides sufferers with a community where they could share weight loss secrets and become even better at losing weight.  Therefore, because many anorexics feel disconnected from society before developing anorexia, these sites give them a place to fit in.  In addition, she found that anorexics were avoiding normal everyday ways of relating to each other e.g. catching up over a meal, dinner with family etc and anorexia provided a way of avoiding situations where people usually connect and relate to one another.  Therefore, perhaps these online sites are a non-threatening medium that they use as a means of connecting with people that does not put them in a social environment that revolves around food.  


Megan Warin offers a supposedly “alternative understanding of anorexia” based on “the everyday acts that comprise relatedness” (Warin 2010: 2). She argues that anorexia develops as a strategy for managing what she terms “the abject”—that is, people, emotions and sensations considered dangerous and unwanted—through intricate practices of containment and self-control.  She argues that management of the abject through bodily practices (such as the limitation of food) allows a person to modulate closeness and distance with her own emotions and body as well as with other people. Anorexia becomes a way to manage “dangerous” or “polluting” social relationships through acts on and with(in) the body. It centers on a substance (food) with powerful social meanings and special metaphysical properties that lend themselves to such social negotiations.


Megan could be an excellent interviewee for our web feature as she could provide an intellectual insight into the online medium as a source of connectedness for those suffering from anorexia and she could discuss the repercussions of censoring such websites and its impact on the anorexic community.  So we could ask her what she thinks would happen if these sites were to be censored, and she could give some insight into the power of the internet and its seductiveness for anorexics that are attempting to avoid physical social interaction.

Flew, T. 2008, 'Social networking' in New Media: an introduction. pp. 143-167


Warin, M. 2010, Abject Relations: Everyday Worlds of Anorexia, Cambridge Studies in Medical Anthropology, Rutgers University Press, NJ, pp. 1-47