Rannie Teodoro edited Methods.tex  over 9 years ago

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\section{Methods}  We collected pro-anorexic disclosures posted in 2012 from two contexts: LiveJournal (pro-ana-nation.livejournal.com) and Twitter (www.twitter.com). Fundamentally, LiveJournal and Twitter are both online communities serving similar functions (e.g., to offer a forum for self-expression, facilitate interaction among users); however, the interfaces and normative practices within each of the sites can vary. This next section describes the (1) general characteristics of the LiveJournal and Twitter pro-ana participants, (2) characteristics of the two sites, and (3) the data collection procedures.   \subsection{Participant Characteristics}  The anonymity afforded by mediated contexts such as LiveJournal and Twitter allow users to modify and conceal certain aspects of their true identities. Because pro-ana’s often seek to maintain disordered eating patterns, they may engage in secretive and covert behaviors and information-sharing practices (Gavin, Rodham,&  Poyer, 2008; Shelley, 1997). Not surprisingly, many of the users in our study frequently represented themselves with pseudonyms and screen names containing words such as “ana,” “bones,” and “skinny” (e.g., want_ana_thin). In addition, participants’ profile photos usually displayed images of extremely thin models or cropped photos of thin bodies from the neck down. These user practices were common in both LiveJournal and Twitter.