Background: While the negative and positive outcomes of pro-eating disorder groups have been well-documented, more research is needed on the effects of pro-recovery communities. In particular, a gap in knowledge remains surrounding users' feelings about their experiences in such communities. Using open-ended questions, we surveyed those involved in the recovery community on the social media site Tumblr, to determine how the community helped/did not help with recovery, and how it made them feel about recovery.
Methods: Participants (n = 29) answered a series of Likert and open-ended questions. The open-ended questions were examined using thematic analysis to learn about users' lived experiences.
Results: Themes identified included connection/acceptance, motivation/encouragement, content, and competition/comparisons. Participants overall felt that the community helped them feel connected to others and accepted for their struggles and their successes, though a minority did note that such acceptance could sometimes reinforce negative behaviors, and connection could lead to pressure to help others. Participants found both direct advice and indirect support (e.g., encouraging posts) to be motivating for their recovery. Feelings of competition and comparison were mixed; some felt that comparing to others made them feel less than, while others used such comparisons as reminders to stay strong in recovery. Participants indicated that the content within the community varies; sometimes there is a large presence of pro eating disorder posts, while at other times, posts are more positive, motivational, and encouraging.
Conclusions: Participants overall indicated that the community had many helpful aspects and made them feel better about recovery. However, the presence of triggering content and competition in particular were notable drawbacks of the community. Overall, recovery communities on unmoderated sites or social media applications may be useful tools during the recovery process, despite some important limitations.
Keywords: Eating disorders; Motivation; Qualitative; Recovery; Social media.
Recovery communities on Tumblr and other social media sites are not moderated by a trained eating disorder professional, but are often an important source of connection for those going through treatment, or those unable to currently access professional treatment. This study asked Tumblr users who participated in the eating disorder recovery community about their experiences, and specifically what they thought about how the community might help or harm their recovery. Users felt the community was overall beneficial, and that the community helped users feel connected, motivated, and encouraged. However, they felt the community could also be triggering and competitive, and comparisons to others in recovery could be helpful or harmful, depending on the context. This information is important for understanding how unmoderated social media sites might support those as they continue on their eating disorder recovery journeys.
© 2022. The Author(s).