Should I report a pro-ana blog? (not here of course)

I hope that the moderators won't see this as violation of forum rules - this is not my intention at all, i just need advice.

I pride myself on not being shocked or shaken easily, but I've just found (totally by accident) a pro-ana  blog on one of the most popular blogging sites in my country. I've never read something like this before and it's just horrible... By the look of it, the author is 15 yrs old and all of the comments are also written by girls of similar age. The author reports daily caloric intake - like 450, 400 etc... and in one of the recent posts announces reducing to 300-350  The blog is full of phrases such as "hate the eating", "i'm soooo fat", "he who feeds me, destroys me" etc - you can imagine... she has a set of reasons why it's so great to be thin and they are all totally sick, toxic and very depressing to read.

My point is: what should i do about it? i feel that leaving it as it is would be a very bad thing to do, kind of irresponsible of me. But from what i checked, she's not violating any "blog content rules" on that website, so reporting it may not help at all. And somehow i think that writing to her personally will just make her think "another jealous fatso trying to sabotage me - good, i'll go down to 200, tak this, you interfering, ignorant cow!".

Any advice how I should proceed? Or maybe not proceed at all?

 

Yikes. that is so dangerous to spread stuff like that. Sad that girls these days think that. Being a mother, I'd definitely say something. could you maybe send an email to the blogging site? like not reporting it as a violation, but asking them to take a look at it? She IS underage...

 

Report it anyway, it will only do good or nothing at all.

I have to agree with Andie. Report it. It will either work, or nothing will happen and you will have tried. I find it admirable you're trying to bring it to someone's attention - the sad part is, the girl, if she is truly deep in her disorder - will probably just start another one elsewhere if the first is closed.

Leave it be. It's not in violation of content rules.

The more you drive it all underground, the worse it gets.

please report it.

Is the site Xanga by any chance?  There are far too many pro-ana blogs on that site =/

Original Post by gadzooks:

Is the site Xanga by any chance?  There are far too many pro-ana blogs on that site =/

No, it's not Xanga. But it's a site which is really, really popular, especially among youngsters, and I bet that some of the girls might have found it by pure chance, like i did.

I think that I'll try writing to the administrators about it and see if i get any response.

Thanks for sharing your opinions with me.

I saw one once on livejournal, it was ghastly, and a friend and I tried to talk to some of them that were talking about things like chest pains.  Hello, that's a major health alarm!  :(

shevandell - I think I know the site you're talking about. I found it a few weeks ago and asked myself the same question... I think you should report it.

LiveJournal still has plenty of active communities dedicated to anorexia and photos of thin people.  It's kind of sucky. :\

There are many, many blogs and sites like that. I agree that it is very disturbing. I imagine that it couldn't hurt to report it, though I'm not sure that it would have any effect, either. It's not illegal, unless it could be considered promoting suicide? And I am not even sure if promoting suicide is illegal! (A lot of help I am)

Maybe post something like this:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb47ZcrefNs

 

on their blog.  It's really good.  

We might not like pro-ana, but they're still entitled to express themselves. Maybe she'll process some psychological stuff by writing about it. The blog may be her only outlet. Anyway will silencing this girl cure her anorexia? Why not try to post something encouraging to her instead?

no but silencing her will stop her from spreading her pro-ana stuff. If she's getting that many comments on her entries, she's obviously encouraging other girls to follow her behaviours...

Is she creating new anorexics or preaching to the choir? I think the reasons people develop ED's are a bit more involved than they happened to see it on a blog.

It's one thing to cause damage to yourself, but to advertise and promote your sick behavior is just lame.

Coffincritter: I developed my eating disorder after discovering thinspo. It wasn't why I developed my eating disorder, but it put the idea in my head and gave me my "goal" and image of perfection.

OP, you could try reporting it, but remember that stuff like this will always be out there. You can't protect kids' minds forever. Either they will see it and learn that it is horse crap on the spot, or they will endure it and learn the hard way.

Original Post by alibsam:

no but silencing her will stop her from spreading her pro-ana stuff. If she's getting that many comments on her entries, she's obviously encouraging other girls to follow her behaviours...

Well, should the government be able to silence all media except for state media to "protect the people"?

It's a conflict of interest here: freedom of speech vs. interest of society

Living in a country with the only mainstream media state media, I vehemently support freedom of speech. But I guess it's which one you prefer.

Freedom of speech to the point where it's hurting others, physically?

Well, I agree with this to a certain extent, but when it comes to clearly underage CHILDREN, cause that's what these girls are, they're still CHILDREN, where do you draw the line? Where's the line when in violating cival rights and protecting them from themselves? Is it okay to allow young girls to promote slow suicide? Cause that's what anorexia... it's a very slow form of suicide and I for one would rather someone risk violating my child's civil rights in order to potentially save his life.

Original Post by toasttoasttoast:

Well, should the government be able to silence all media except for state media to "protect the people"?

It's a conflict of interest here: freedom of speech vs. interest of society

Living in a country with the only mainstream media state media, I vehemently support freedom of speech. But I guess it's which one you prefer.

 

 

 

Original Post by toasttoasttoast:

Original Post by alibsam:

no but silencing her will stop her from spreading her pro-ana stuff. If she's getting that many comments on her entries, she's obviously encouraging other girls to follow her behaviours...

Well, should the government be able to silence all media except for state media to "protect the people"?

It's a conflict of interest here: freedom of speech vs. interest of society

Living in a country with the only mainstream media state media, I vehemently support freedom of speech. But I guess it's which one you prefer.

 I have not lived in America for a long time, but I know about this law (or whatever people call it)

Yes, there is a freedom of speech, but there is also a case of putting people (ones self included) in danger where it IS an exception. A common example is screaming 'fire' in a crowded theatre.

Yes, silencing different media is a bad idea, but there is a LARGE difference between silencing a form of media because of insufficient reason, and silencing it because it will cause harm to people around it, I.E: pro-ana sites/blogs.

Still, if you report her, there is not stopping her from creating a new site or blogto advertise her own downfall.