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Instagram struggles (and loses) a fight against a very serious problem on the platform: eating disorders, especially bulimia and anorexia. The company issues alerts and offers support to users looking for conditions badociated with these conditions on the social network since 2012; However, due to the increase in the number of profiles that encourage these practices, the company closes the seat on the subject.
Six years ago, users looking for terms such as bulimia, anorexia, and eating disorders received notification that Instagram encourages the person to seek the help of a professional. However, platform engineers began to realize that there was an increased sharing of hashtags for the spread of anorexia – and not in the sense of a struggling messenger.
Among these is #proana, abbreviation for pro-anorexia. Thus, to bypbad the Instagram filter, these users use variants of the term, such as the abbreviation "ana". Among the variants are #anorexie and #anaismyfriend ("anorexia is my friend", in literal translation). So, Instagram started adding the alert also to search for these hashtags. In addition, the company also indicated that if it is identified that the user uses variants of these hashtags to support such disorders, the platform will also remove these terms from the recommendations.
But whoever wishes always gives the means to bypbad the short reins. In this way, hashtag variations constantly appear, among which #thinspo, which badociates the word "thin" with the abbreviation "inspiration", which means that being thin is an inspiration. #Bonespo looks like this, with "bones" hinting at the apparent bones of an extremely thin person.
The proliferation of these terms on the platform is a serious problem for Instagram. Indeed, the social network does not have any human moderator to actively delete these publications. It is therefore necessary that users of the social network denounce themselves these publications on the platform. And as these publications circulate in a group of people favorable to this type of action, the degradations are rare and the publications remain on the platform.
In a note, Instagram tells the BBC that it recognizes that the problem requires that people who have eating disorders and a self-image receive support from the platform. Thus, "we will go beyond simply removing content and hashtags, and we will take a holistic approach by offering page options and content with tips such as talking to friends or directly looking for groups of people." support, "said the instagram.
In Brazil, there is the Support Group for Eating Disorders (GATDA), which provides support to people with eating disorders, such as anorexia, the bulimia, among others. GATDA can be found on the official website or by phone at (11) 3865-8609.
Source: BBC
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