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Anorexia??
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
I don't know how many of you are aware of a debate about community sites for anorexics. There's been a bit of controversy about it lately after Oprah did a show on these sites, saying how evil they were and how they instructed girls how to be good anorexics.
What do people think?? Should they be closed down for encouraging things? Should they remain open as closing them takes away from people's freedom of speech?
Many of them have been closed down already, but as more close, more crop up.
I have a very distinct opinion about it, but I just want to know what other people think before I say anything.
What do people think?? Should they be closed down for encouraging things? Should they remain open as closing them takes away from people's freedom of speech?
Many of them have been closed down already, but as more close, more crop up.
I have a very distinct opinion about it, but I just want to know what other people think before I say anything.
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Comments
They shouldnt be shut down. You cant encourage someone to become anorexic. Its not as though you will become anorexic by reading a website.
The websites are pretty sick but they shouldnt and couldnt be closed down. The people that use those sites need more help than your average anorexic.
I disagree. Given the chance, most would view these sites. I've been there, and those with anorexia will take any oppurtunity to trigger themselves.
I don't agree with censorship.
"You do not have the right to never be offended. The country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone - not just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc., But the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be."
If parents/whoever are so outraged by these sites then they should be more aware of their childs activities on the net.
Older people, well, it's their own responsibilty.
Where does it end?
Shut down all sites that might 'theoretically' cause harm?
as anorexia nervosa is a psychological condition, if these sites were shut down, it wouldnt stop their chain of thoughts about being obsessive about their food/weight/body etc i dont think a website like that would put an idea in their heads instantly
i suppose a big bonus and flaw of the net is - you can get anything and everything
This websites often come up in serches about anorexia/bulimia, and are plastered with pictures of lamposts with 'perfection', etc, as captions, and give tips as to how to be a good anorexic. They do seem to be mostly started by anorexics who do not want treatment, which is why they are so triggering, and as Balddog said, the people starting them need more help than 'normal' anorexics.
They should be shut down, in the same way websites telling people to go and burn Jews cos the holocaust was the Jews' own fault should be shut down. But it is, and always will be, a pipe dream.
At the same time I realize that there is no real way to ban all these websites. Yes, we could shut down some of them but more will just pop up to replace them. And as long as there are people out there who want to live with their disorder rather than get treatment this will be a problem. People seek others similar to themselves to prove that they're not as weird as they feel they are. So these websites are going to continue to exist in one form or another.