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Karen Garcia
English 115
October 1, 2018
Do you ever wonder why people 1) become Anorexic and 2) develop Anorexia? Did you
ever think it could all start because of social media? Instagram is a very popular app among
people of all ages, where people share content with their friends and followers. It is a method of
keeping in touch with people that you haven't seen in a while to see how and what they are doing
with their lives now. Instagram comes with a variety of gorgeous models and celebrities that
people admire to and look forward to seeing on their feed. The problem with Instagram is that
you have to be at least thirteen years old to create an account. Which encourages teenagers to
create an account without asking for their parent’s permission. Its not much of a hard task
because all they need is an email, username, and password. What parents don’t know is that
their kids have access to almost anything on this app, from watching videos of cute babies to the
dark side of Instagram; The Skinny, Attractive Community of Insta. Instagram has a very
influential presence that parents should be aware of, as the effects can be devastating for a young
filled with pictures of tremendously skinny bodies that are supposed to “inspire” people so they
can start obsessing over their weights and have that skinny body. This hashtag has been a part of
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the Instagram anorexia community and it became a controversy when Instagram banned the tag.
“Just as others find people with similar interests using the media, individuals with eating
disorders are able to find like-minded people using the social networks as well.”(Harris). People
with Anorexia have their own communities in which they feel comfortable and Social Media is a
place to connect with others. I believe that people with Anorexia should have the same
Young individuals that have access to social media have seen these beautiful and
‘flawless’ celebritiest hat they look up to because or the way they sing or act. When these
individuals see these celebrities they think that they have to look just like them in order to be
flawless and attractive. These kids are eating less and starving themselves so they could become
like the celebrities they look up to. This causes them to harm their well being, developing eating
disorders like Anorexia and preventing them from having a healthy lifestyle. Anorexia is an
eating disorder that is caused by an obsession over losing weight and it could turn into a life-
threatening situation. Some people go on with their lives without realizing that they are suffering
from Anorexia. They live their lives thinking that they are still not skinny or pretty enough and
continuously starve themselves because they think it's the right way to lose weight.
This problem has affected mostly young women but it has also affected men. Men also
have insecurities about their bodies. Instead of wanting to be skinny, Men want to be fit like their
favorite sports players or superheroes. What men don’t realize is that celebrities aren’t born with
muscles, they have to work out to look strong and buff. “...paragons of masculinity such as
American all-action hero GI Joe and Jedi master Luke Skywalker have felt the pressure to shape
up too.” (Bailey). If someone asks a girl what her ideal man looks like they usually say the
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muscular, good-looking dudes. This is what makes these boys and men feel insecure and if they
are slightly chubby they find that Anorexia is a faster, easier way to lose the excess weight as
girls do.
A numerous amount of people have been consumed by anorexia because of feeling the
need to lose an excessive amount of weight in order to be pretty. They believe that this is the
fastest route but it is a dangerous one, The lack of nutrients can make them severely ill and can
sometimes lead them to their tombstone. According to the Eating Disorders Catalogue,
“Starving causes an energy crisis, in response to which the body literally slows down to conserve
what little energy it has left in order to perform the basic functions required to sustain life.” This
means that an anorexics heart, lungs, and other parts of their body are getting slower by the
There’s not an exact solution to this problem because parents can’t control everything
their kids see online. However, these young individuals still deserve to have the freedom they
have online. The same way, there’s a negative side to everything, even social media, there’s a
good side to it too. People can make friends online who have similar taste in music, movies,
video games, etc. or people who could give them good advice and lead them in the right
direction. If you see someone become thinner , seek help from a health professional to provide
guidance and the necessary nutrients to get them in a stabilized healthy shape. Instead of
confronting anorexics rudely, one must do it gently and with compassion because not only is
Anorexia is a physical illness but it is also a mental illness. A person with Anorexia doesn’t need
someone to complain about the things they are doing, they just need someone that is willing to
give them time and support. If someone forces or harasses the person to start eating more, it will
When someone posts a picture of themselves looking cute and “perfect”, teens shouldn’t
be worried about that. They should learn that it’s okay to be different even if it takes a while for
them to understand that. I’ve had my own experiences, and I honestly think that instead of
society trying to force people to look a certain way, they should be focused on showing off all
types of bodies, Stretch Marks or No Stretch Marks. It is their body and their choice to do
whatever they want but it's not a good decision to change your body look a certain way.
Everyone was made different for a reason. If we all looked the same, it would be like talking to
multiple replicas of yourself and the world would be a dull place, filled with dull people. It’s sad
to see teens feel the need to develop unhealthy habits just so they could look like someone else
when who they are and the body they have is perfect.
Work Cited
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Bailey, Mark. "ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH?" Men's Fitness, no. 175, 02, 2015, pp. 76-81.
Gajanan, Mahita. “Young Women on Instagram and Self-Esteem: 'I Absolutely Feel Insecure'.”
www.theguardian.com/media/2015/nov/04/instagram-young-women-self-esteem-essena-oneill.
New Ways To Spread Social Media Message [PHOTOS].” Medical Daily, 29 Aug.
2013,www.medicaldaily.com/thinspiration-instagram-pro-anorexia-community-persists-finds-
Livingstone S, Haddon L, Görzig A, Ólafsson K. Risks and Safety on the Internet: The
Perspective of European Children: Full Findings and Policy Implications From the EU Kids
Online Survey of 9–16 Year Olds and Their Parents in 25 Countries. London, United Kingdom:
The London School of Economics and Political Science. Accessed 24 September 2018
Perloff, Richard M. "Social Media Effects on Young Women's Body Image Concerns:
Theoretical Perspectives and an Agenda for Research." Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, vol.
Oksanen, Atte, et al. “Proanorexia Communities on Social Media.” Pediatrics, vol. 137, no. 1,