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.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment