Instagram Bans Thinspo
By now, everyone with a smartphone has heard of Instagram, the application that allows users to add some funky effects to photos. But it seems that there is one genre of imagery that is now banned from the photogenic social networking site - thinspiration.
Thinspiration, which can also be called pro-ana content, is various content that promotes eating disorders, mainly involving images of women of a skinny or emaciated nature.
This form of "inspiration" found home on various social networking sites, such as Facebook and Tumblr, before content of this nature was banned, with Instagram now following suit in banning thinspo content.
According the the good old Huffington Post, searching for thinspo content yields over 30,000 images on Instagram. Now, no results will show, as Instagram have now blacklisted terms such as "thinspiration", "thinspo", "ana" and weirdly “hipbones,” and “thighgap", two areas that the thinspo community seems particularly focused on, are becoming more and more prevalent.
Here's an extract of what's now in Instagram's Terms of Service.
"Don’t promote or glorify self-harm: While Instagram is a place where people can share their lives with others through photographs, any account found encouraging or urging users to embrace anorexia, bulimia, or other eating disorders; or to cut, harm themselves, or commit suicide will result in a disabled account without warning."
"We believe that communication regarding these behaviors in order to create awareness, come together for support and to facilitate recovery is important, but that Instagram is not the place for active promotion or glorification of self-harm."
So, what do you think of this? Is this a step in the right direction, or is this just a stab in the throat of free speech?
Also, should there only be a ban on content glorifying anorexia, or should this type of ban be seen for imagery glorifying obesity also?
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3 Comments – Post a comment
ToWriteLoveOnHerArms
Commented 12 months ago - 1st May 2012 - 18:07pm
I totally agree. Only thing is, I have Instagram on my ipod and I just searched it, there are still photos tagged from 6 days ago and even a "thinspo" account, promoting being skinny. It's also saying you're "pathetic" if you choose food over being skinny. I think the account should be deleted because girls who want to lose wait in general and did not intend to become as skinny as this can see it and then feel pressured and I know how it feels to be pressured into being stick thin. I am a size 14 and a group of girls in my school try and get their friends to follow this thinspo diary and pressure you. Its easy to give in to pressure and the account should be deleted. If you want to look it up the account is called becoming_thin.
Tyvott Yb Knivvott
Commented 12 months ago - 1st May 2012 - 18:45pm
should be banned on all sites i think. they are virtually promoting self harm. not good.
glittereyes360
Commented 12 months ago - 3rd May 2012 - 14:35pm
Good article, very informative and I think this should be banned. we wonder why youth of today have issues, it's because these idiots make the average boy and girl hate themselves. We cannot thrive on an economy with self loathing, that's just wrong. So, good job on the article :) x