Analysis of Eating Disorders

The rising frequency of teen Internet and social media use, in particular Facebook, has cause parents to lose sight of these websites harmful attributes that lead to eating disorders and extreme dieting. Michele Foster, author of “Internet Marketing Through Facebook: Influencing Body Image in Teens and Young Adults”, published October 2008 in Self Help Magazine, argues Facebook has become the leading social network for teens and young adults aging 17 to 25 years of age, and is also the age range that has significant increases in Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa in women. Foster accomplishes her purpose, which is to draw the parents of teen’s attention to the loosely regulated advertisements on Facebook and Facebook’s reluctance to ban negative body image ads. Foster creates a logos appeal by using examples and persona, pathos appeal by using diction, and ethos appeal by using examples and persona.

Foster creates a logos appeal by providing strong reasoning and evidence to support her argument. Through her example about how Facebook advertisers are aware of their user’s insecurities about their body, thereby, increasing publication of advertisements in hope that users will undergo negative self-reflection and realize they do not conform to the mainstream ideal of thinness. Her examples also include research that she references from other scholarly authors. “For example it is no secret that exposing women to images of thin celebrities causes them to feel dissatisfied with their own appearances (Grade, Ward, & Hyde, 2008).” Foster’s second strong claim to her logos appeal by writing, that in spite of user’s insecurities, Facebook advertisers hope user’s will feel more dissatisfied with their body image and turn to the ads for a solut...

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...ng ideas about eating disorders and social media use. Such as, can appropriate uses social media and the Internet cause an increase in self-esteem and decrease in eating disorders? My sources all highlight the negativity of social media and Internet use. However if they were to explore the positives, I believe the results would be comparable.

Works Cited

Foster, Michele. "Internet Marketing through Facebook: Influencing Body Image in Teens and Young Adults." Self Help Magazine Oct. (2008): Web. 23 Mar. 2011.

Derenne, Jennifer L., and Eugene V. Beresin. "Body Image, Media, and Eating Disorders." Academic Psychiatry 30. June (2006): 257-61. Web. 23 Mar. 2011.

Borzekowski DL, Schenk S, Wilson JL, Peebles R. “e-Ana and e-Mia: A content analysis of pro-eating disorder Web sites.” Am J Public Health. June (2006): 1526-34. Web. 23 Mar. 2011.