Leveraging Machine Learning to Identify Gendered Stereotypes and Body Image Concerns on Diet and Fitness Online Forums

Fuente: arXiv
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Auteurs principaux: Chu, Minh Duc, Sánchez, Cinthia, He, Zihao, Dorn, Rebecca, Murray, Stuart, Lerman, Kristina
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2024
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author Chu, Minh Duc
Sánchez, Cinthia
He, Zihao
Dorn, Rebecca
Murray, Stuart
Lerman, Kristina
author_facet Chu, Minh Duc
Sánchez, Cinthia
He, Zihao
Dorn, Rebecca
Murray, Stuart
Lerman, Kristina
contents The pervasive expectations about ideal body types in Western society can lead to body image concerns, dissatisfaction, and in extreme cases, eating disorders and other psychopathologies related to body image. While previous research has focused on online pro-anorexia communities glorifying the "thin ideal," less attention has been given to the broader spectrum of body image concerns or how emerging disorders like muscle dysmorphia ("bigorexia") present on online platforms. To address this gap, we analyze 46 Reddit forums related to diet, fitness, and mental health. We map these communities along gender and body ideal dimensions, revealing distinct patterns of emotional expression and community support. Feminine-oriented communities, especially those endorsing the thin ideal, express higher levels of negative emotions and receive caring comments in response. In contrast, muscular ideal communities display less negativity, regardless of gender orientation, but receive aggressive compliments in response, marked by admiration and toxicity. Mental health discussions align more with thin ideal, feminine-leaning spaces. By uncovering these gendered emotional dynamics, our findings can inform the development of moderation strategies that foster supportive interactions while reducing exposure to harmful content.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2407_03551
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Leveraging Machine Learning to Identify Gendered Stereotypes and Body Image Concerns on Diet and Fitness Online Forums
Chu, Minh Duc
Sánchez, Cinthia
He, Zihao
Dorn, Rebecca
Murray, Stuart
Lerman, Kristina
Social and Information Networks
Computation and Language
Computers and Society
The pervasive expectations about ideal body types in Western society can lead to body image concerns, dissatisfaction, and in extreme cases, eating disorders and other psychopathologies related to body image. While previous research has focused on online pro-anorexia communities glorifying the "thin ideal," less attention has been given to the broader spectrum of body image concerns or how emerging disorders like muscle dysmorphia ("bigorexia") present on online platforms. To address this gap, we analyze 46 Reddit forums related to diet, fitness, and mental health. We map these communities along gender and body ideal dimensions, revealing distinct patterns of emotional expression and community support. Feminine-oriented communities, especially those endorsing the thin ideal, express higher levels of negative emotions and receive caring comments in response. In contrast, muscular ideal communities display less negativity, regardless of gender orientation, but receive aggressive compliments in response, marked by admiration and toxicity. Mental health discussions align more with thin ideal, feminine-leaning spaces. By uncovering these gendered emotional dynamics, our findings can inform the development of moderation strategies that foster supportive interactions while reducing exposure to harmful content.
title Leveraging Machine Learning to Identify Gendered Stereotypes and Body Image Concerns on Diet and Fitness Online Forums
topic Social and Information Networks
Computation and Language
Computers and Society
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.03551