Eating Disorder Recovery on Social Media
English instructors of first-year writing select the very best student essays produced for that class and submit them to a scholarship competition named and evaluated by SRU English professor emeritus, James Strickland. In selecting this easy for an honorable mention, Dr. Strickland notes, “Grace Buckley, in Eating Disorder Recovery on Social Media, examines the disturbing controversy surrounding the health risks of eating disorders as portrayed on social media sites such as Tik Tok, Twitter, and Tumblr. Grace presents a shocking exploration of potential triggers and dangers for those suffering from eating disorders, including postings by pro-ana groups who escape detection and censorship (that is, normalizing the disorder point of view, making it acceptable and desirable). There are many hidden dangers in the digital world.”
By Grace Buckley
Is it possible to recover from an eating disorder while actively engaging with social media? Remaining a consumer of media that is infamous for perpetuating western beauty standards while in the process of recovery may seem counterproductive, but the ability to recognize and navigate through possible triggering content online is a necessary skill in the age of online communication. Topics that may trigger disordered thoughts in those with eating disorders (ED) vary significantly as they originate from personal experiences. Common ED triggers that may be present on social media consist of calorie counting, body transformations, and of course, posts advertising or promoting disordered eating behaviors. Unfortunately, triggering material may also appear in online spaces that are intended for those in recovery (Herrick). Be that as it may, there is still plenty of content that individuals recovering from an eating disorder (ED) can comfortably interact with on social media. Members across three separate ED recovery forums on the social media platform Reddit concurred that social media has had a positive impact on their recovery on the accounts of increased social connectedness and sense of community (Bohrer). Individuals recovering from an eating disorder should not have to abstain from social media use on the basis that it may contain triggering content; Instead, they should be free to navigate online communities once informed on navigating triggers that may be presented on different social media platforms.
Eating disorder recovery goes beyond the observable characteristics of weight change and eating habits. Interviews with individuals who have lived experience in ED recovery suggested that centering recovery around discussions and measurements of weight may reinforce weight-related obsessions that could increase the risk of a relapse. According to those interviewed, the most relevant factors in success measurement are “decreased behavioral and cognitive symptoms, increased psychological well-being, coping skills, social connection, rediscovery and redefinition of self or purpose, and transformation or growth” (Kenny & Lewis). Social media use may positively contribute to the improvement of social connection throughout recovery when it is used to create or enhance face-to-face relationships; However, if social media is used as an escape from social interaction, feelings of loneliness increase (Nowland et al.). Due to these conflicting outcomes, it is imperative for individuals in ED recovery to moderate their media consumption, as it is tempting to use social media networks as escapism from the real world (Kenny & Lewis).
Many individuals in ED recovery have reported positive associations between engagement in online recovery communities and their personal recovery progress, but note the dangers of consuming content that promotes disordered eating behaviors (Kenny & Lewis). A thematic analysis of a sample of ED-related content posted to the social networks Twitter and Tumblr detected three major categories of discussion: “pro-recovery, pro-ana, and anti-ana” (Branley & Covey). ‘Pro-recovery’ communities provide positive encouragement and advice to those looking to foster a healthier relationship with food and body image; Conversely, ‘pro-ana’ groups normalize disordered behaviors, and encourage others to engage in ED behaviors by portraying them as “acceptable, justifiable, and even desirable” (Branley & Covey). ‘Anti-ana’ posts directly denounce pro-ana content and discuss the dangers of the public promotion of disordered eating behaviors. Accounts posting anti-ana content did not appear to use social media for the sole purpose of discussing ED unlike pro-recovery and pro-ana, yet anti-ana made up nearly half (49.2%) of the ED-related posts on Twitter and Tumblr (Branley & Covey). A combined 63.2% of posts fell under the theme of pro-recovery and anti-ana, fortunately leaving pro-ana posts in the minority (Branley & Covey).
Unlike Twitter and Tumblr, a newer social media platform ‘TikTok’ has banned the use of hashtags relating to pro-ED content (eg., #proana) as they have faced accusations of glorifying disordered eating behaviors to their young consumers (Herrick). These bans may have regained a portion of TikToks’s image, but they have also created a dangerous space for those looking to engage with pro-recovery content, as well as non-ED TikTok users. Some individuals who would have formerly posted under pro-ED hashtags have since removed possible trigger warnings and hashtags related to ED in order to evade algorithm detection. Because of this, inexplicit pro-ed content may be promoted to an even larger variety of TikTok users. Similarly, some users have begun posting pro-ED content to spaces meant to promote healing, such as under the hashtag #EDrecovery, in an attempt to avoid censorship (Herrick).
A similar thematic analysis was conducted for TikTok posts under #EDrecovery, revealing observable trends that may prove useful in avoiding triggering content. Researchers interpreted five themes from the collected data: “(a) ED awareness, (b) inpatient storytime: “ED unit tings”, (c) eating in recovery, (d) transformations: “how about a weight gain glow-up?”, and (e) trendy gallows humor: “let’s confuse people who have a good relationship with food”’ (Herrick). The final theme of trendy gallows humor, which refers to making fun of terrible situations, may be the most important trend for those in ED recovery to be aware of as they often excluded trigger warnings from their captions. This category is the most frequent perpetrator of pro-ED content appearing under #EDrecovery (Herrick) and users should exercise vigilance when encountering this trend. The remaining four themes may encourage some in their recovery while deterring others, and this outcome can be determined by the individual’s personal triggers.
Eating in recovery is a prevalent theme under #EDrecovery, making up 37% of the studied sample (Herrick). This data is unsurprising, as food-focused content appeals to both individuals in recovery and individuals not yet ready to begin recovery from disordered eating. Food-related content meant to encourage recovery will avoid categorizing foods as “good or bad”, and forego any mentions of calories. Many creators using this trend showcase a substantial and varied diet while expressing and encouraging positive emotions towards eating. Videos including calorie counting are not inherently pro-ED, as creators expressed the need to ‘keep track’ of their food intake to ensure the consumption of adequate calories. Fortunately, the majority of content mentioning calories have included content warnings in their captions and videos (Herrick). While counting calories is a useful tool for some, those in recovery looking to engage with food-related content should avoid videos that include calorie counting if it has the potential to trigger disordered behavior or thoughts.
Similarly to food-related content, the theme of body transformation presents some common triggers that can be found on other visual social media networks such as Tumblr. The videos as a whole communicate that the poster is excited about recovery and proud of their weight gain, but their “before” pictures can be decontextualized and reposted to pro-ana forums, as they are nearly indistinguishable from intended pro-ana content (Bohrer). Unfortunately, the intention of posted content may bear little importance to how content will be received and consumed across many different social media platforms.
The remaining two themes (ED awareness and inpatient storytimes) present some potentially triggering content, but the majority of videos in these trends contain positive encouragement towards ED recovery. ED awareness videos often worked to offset the glorification of disordered eating and dangerously thin bodies by showing side effects of active ED, including hair loss, worsened mental health, and even medical emergencies. Inpatient storytimes often elaborated on the medical ramifications of ED behaviors, while outlining expectations for clinical ED treatment. Creators posting in this format also emphasized the positive impact that professional treatment had on their recovery and encouraged others to seek help if they were suffering from disordered eating. When one creator was asked if the treatment helped her, she replied ‘“the short answer is: YES. I didn’t think I would make it to my 16th birthday. Treatment was hard, but it only works if you want it to. I’m so grateful for everybody who helped save my life, including you guys.”’ (Herrick).
While much of the TikTok content under #EDrecovery is considered safe for those in recovery to consume, a lack of diversity in content creators leaves much room for improvement. The thematic analysis described the pool of creators as a “homogenous sample with a limited diversity of body types, genders, and race, with a few stark exceptions” (Herrick). In other words, thin white women are the main source of ED recovery discourse on TikTok. This sample is not an indication of a lack of diverse creators, but instead a representation of the expected and accepted stereotypes for individuals with eating disorders. TikTok’s are promoted based on the popularity of the specific video, the popularity of the creator, and geographical location. From this criteria, it is reasonable to conclude that the near-uniform sample of 150 TikToks represents popular ED recovery content among English-speaking North Americans (Herrick). That being said, TikTok may not be a representative source of pro-recovery content for those who do not fit into this criteria.
If visual forms of social media (eg. TikTok and Tumblr) present dangerous triggers to an individual recovering from ED, networks such as Reddit and Twitter may provide a safer ED recovery community to engage with. Pro-recovery communities on both Reddit and Twitter provide encouraging recovery tips while sharing their own struggles and experiences. Trigger warnings were also common, especially on Twitter, and often appear with the hashtag #TW being presented at the beginning of posts (Branley & Covey). Individuals recovering from ED should take note of how their triggers appear on different social media platforms before jumping into any disordered eating-related communities.
The proven existence of potential triggers on social media networks does not equate to social media being dangerous as a whole for those recovering from ED. Even if social media proved to be inherently negative, expecting those in recovery to completely abstain from social media use is unreasonable as many individuals believe that ED recovery is a lifelong journey. Members of ED recovery forums on Reddit describe recovery as a ‘non-linear’ process that encapsulates the ups and downs of remission, including relapse (Bohrer). Considering that ED recovery may span over an entire lifetime, complete isolation from social networks will eliminate any positive social connection that may be created or enhanced through online communication.
Works Cited
Bohrer, Brittany K., et al. “Recovery as a Process: Exploring Definitions of Recovery in the
Context of Eating‐disorder‐related Social Media Forums.” International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol. 53, no. 8, Aug. 2020, pp. 1219–1223. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1002/eat.23218
Branley, Dawn B., and Judith Covey. “Pro-Ana versus pro-Recovery: A Content Analytic
Comparison of Social Media Users’ Communication about Eating Disorders on Twitter and Tumblr.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 8, Aug. 2017. EBSCOhost, doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01356.
Herrick, Shannon S. C., et al. “‘This Is Just How I Cope’: An Inductive Thematic Analysis of
Eating Disorder Recovery Content Created and Shared on TikTok Using #EDrecovery.” International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol. 54, no. 4, Apr. 2021. EBSCOhost, search-ebscohost-com.proxy-sru.klnpa.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bxh&AN=BACD202100347783&site=ehost-live.
Kenny, Therese E., and Stephen P. Lewis. “Reconceptualizing Recovery: Integrating Lived
Experience Perspectives Into Traditional Eating Disorder Recovery Frameworks.” Psychiatric Services (Washington, D.C.), vol. 72, no. 8, Aug. 2021, pp. 966–968. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1176/appi.ps.202000447.
Nowland, Rebecca, et al. “Loneliness and Social Internet Use: Pathways to Reconnection in a
Digital World?” Perspectives on Psychological Science, vol. 13, no. 1, Jan. 2018, pp.
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