The paradox of tik tok anti-pro-anorexia videos: How social media can promote non-suicidal self-injury and anorexia

Abstract

The literature shows that social pressure promotes non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) Eating disorders, along with self-injury, are also favored by underregulated social media. Tik Tok is one of the most used social media platforms among adolescents. It has been shown that the time young children spend on this platform doubled during the lockdown. The theme of anorexia is very common on this platform. While most “pro-ana” (pro-anorexia) videos, where users exchanged advice on how to pathologically lose weight, have been censored by the application, other “anti-pro-ana” (anti-pro-anorexia) videos, officially aimed at raising awareness of the consequences of anorexia, have become increasingly popular. However, our case shows how even these safer videos paradoxically lead the users to emulate these “guilty” behaviors.