The power of social media has grown into a force that can influence society and culture with the swiftness of wildfire.  Messages conveyed through social media sites can build into movements, rapidly creating a positive or negative environment for those engaging with it.  Unfortunately, trends that promote eating disorders have become rampant through social media sites, such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.  With the combination of easy access to technology and the widespread use of these social media sites, a movement that endorses eating disorder behaviors has quickly risen.

This is something that cannot be avoided or ignored.  Social media studies have revealed that social networking sites now reach 82 percent of the world’s online population, representing 1.2 billion users around the world.  In October 2011, social networking ranked as the most popular content category in worldwide engagement, accounting for 19 percent of all time spent online.  Statistics about social media also reveal that nearly 1 in every 5 minutes spent online is now spent on social networking sites [1].  Indeed, social media has saturated our existence with a new means of connecting to each other, in constructive and destructive ways.

When it comes to eating disorders, understanding the influence of social media is essential to knowing how to fight for those who are vulnerable to these deadly diseases.  With trends circulating social networks that promote dieting, extreme exercise or weight loss, and unrealistic images of air-brushed bodies, it is no wonder that a “Thinspiration” movement has evolved from the shadows.  For individuals who might be in the delicate phases of recovery or perhaps who are more susceptible to developing an eating disorder, these destructive movements reigning throughout social media can lead to breaking points.

With this knowledge, what can be done to respond to this force of darkness in the online world?  What could be promoted to counteract the damaging effects that eating disorder trends can have on those who are struggling or vulnerable to these diseases?

Eating Disorder Hope is joining with the National Eating Disorder Association to bring greater awareness and light to this area as a means of promoting the prevention of eating disorders.  It is our hope to create and encourage a Pro-Recovery Movement throughout social media sites that would help eating disorder sufferers find hope, health and healing through positive imagery, posts, and the like.  The time to act is now, as negative influences on eating disorder sufferers only grow stronger with each passing day.

We can each play an integral part of a Pro-Recovery Movement that inspires revival and freedom from eating disorders.  As recovery based websites, we hope you will join with us in our endeavors to promote this movement throughout online communities, bringing support, encouragement, and healing to those who need it most.

How you can get involved in the Pro-Recovery Movement:

• Join the Eating Disorder Hope Pro-Recovery Movement*
• Follow National Eating Disorder on any of our social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.
• Follow Eating Disorder Hope on Facebook, Twitter, Pintrest and Instagram.
• SHARE your pro-recovery images and posts using the hashtag #prorecovery on your Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram accounts.

Irrespective of where you are in your path towards recovery or what your background may be, we hope that you may find a community that supports your journey, such as the Pro-Recovery Movement.  The battle for freedom against eating disorders is too often an isolated one, but you do not have to fight alone.  Please consider joining with Eating Disorder Hope and the National Eating Disorder Association as we promote this Pro-Recovery Movement!

*There are no costs or obligations required of our Pro-Recovery Movement members.  It is simply a commitment to stand for positive eating disorder recovery online by respecting the Top Ten Tips in your online interactions.

References:
[1]: “It’s a Social World: Top 10 Need-to-Knows About Social Networking and Where It’s Headed”.  http://www.comscore.com/Insights/Presentations_and_Whitepapers/2011/it_i... Accessed 5 August 2013.