YouTube Implements New Guidelines For Eating Disorder Content!
It is time that other social media channels learn from YouTube. The new policy changes from this largest video platform are truly inspirational. On Tuesday, the company announced that new guidelines will be implemented to filter out content that promotes eating disorders.
The updated policy targets youngsters as a class of “vulnerable viewers”. Now, content that showcases unnatural diet trends and weight loss challenges will be prohibited by YouTube. Dive into the news to learn more about the policy changes on YouTube on eating disorders!
New Policy To Filter Out Content That Stimulates Eating Disorders
While discussions about the negative effects of social media on mental health are ongoing, YouTube has taken some hopeful policies. In a relatively new framework, the social media platform has decided to filter content that can stimulate eating disorders.
The new guidelines are intended to be implemented among teenagers who are often considered “vulnerable viewers”. According to YouTube, the new policy will filter out content that shows “imitable behavior” for “at-risk viewers”. Some of the content that will be prohibited as part of this guideline is content that showcases restricting calories and promotes unhealthy eating habits.
According to Dr. Garth Graham, director of YouTube Health, the need of the hour is to address mental health issues such as eating disorders. Being one of the largest video-sharing platforms, YouTube has a responsibility to build awareness and address the issues that lead to eating disorders.
As part of the new policy, content that promotes indulging in extreme kinds of diets and food habits will be prohibited. Such videos will only be streamed with added information about the psychiatric complications behind eating disorders.
As per the management of YouTube, the new guidelines will be imposed with the assistance of the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) and Asociación de Lucha contra la Bulimia y Anorexia. The Google-owned video-sharing platform will analyze various aspects of content that display imitable behavior and how it can lead to eating disorders among vulnerable viewers.
Eating disorders are a relatively new psychological condition that includes many sub terrains such as binge eating, laxative abuse, extreme measures of fasting, purging, etc. According to the statistics from NEDA, around 28.8 million people in America suffer from eating disorders.
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Social Media And Eating Disorders
The new guidelines were implemented in the context of a recent finding that showed a connection between social media and eating disorders. Experts point out that various trends and challenges spreading through social media platforms can cause a negative impact, especially on young people.
The trends such as weight loss and detox challenges can mislead people and make them more prone to eating disorders such as Anorexia. A glimpse through these media handles will reveal how much misleading information has been spreading on a day-to-day basis.
Social media channels such as TikTok and Instagram are on the top of the list which spread unnatural trends in the name of weight loss and staying healthy. At this critical juncture, YouTube has decided to adopt a new guideline that can filter out misleading content.
As part of the policy implementation, YouTube will restrict some videos for certain age groups. Along with that, the company is planning to add panels to help viewers to seek help from crisis resources, especially for eating disorders.
This will be implemented in nine countries at the start of the change. They also added that YouTube will send resources to help content creators make less harmful content if they are removed for violating their new guidelines.
Anyway, the new change is surely a sign of a hopeful tomorrow. We can wish that more social media channels may choose the path of YouTube in properly addressing these issues.
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