Essay On Hashtag In Social Media

1a. Hashtags

A hashtag is a hash symbol (#) followed by a keyword or phrase. These hashtags are included in social media posts so the content of the post may be easily accessible to people of similar interests, regardless of whether they are a follower or friend of you online. For example, if you’re interested in videos, photos or content on goats, you could do a hashtag search on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook of #goats and you will be inundated with goat content at your fingertips. These results would be from users who have uploaded goat content and used the hashtag #goats.

1b. What is #Thinspo?

#Thinspo is the shortened word for thin inspiration (thinspiration). This hashtag is used on many social media platforms as a gateway into the dangerous and disturbing world of “pro-ana” (pro-anorexia) and “pro-mia” (pro-bulimia) movements. A quick

Undoubtedly, they can exacerbate prior eating disorders but most people who frequent pro-ana communities would basically be doing what they’re doing anyway. Because they have a mental illness that tells them to restrict/purge.” (Thomson, 2013)

Although this may be better than the total lack of regulation, has this actually made an impact on the prevalence of these posts, and thus the prevalence of eating disorders?

3b. How Are Young People Bypassing These Bans and Regulations?

Pro-anorexia and pro-bulimia content communities are not a new concept. These sites have been around since the beginning of the internet. Social media has only made access to this content all the more readily available.

Users of this “pro-ana” and “pro-mia” content have of course found ways to bypass these regulations in order to access this by using alternative spellings and new key words to find the tagged content. New hashtags such as #th1nspo , #thh1nsp0, #proanatips, #pr0-anna, #thh1nsp0, #pr0-anna and #thin still produce horrifying results.

3c. Eating