FASHION Magazine

As the internet and social media moves to replace the lock-and-key diary, it seems that nearly every detail of our lives can be put online. And while we’ve grown to accept and embrace it, there are some facets of our lives that might be harmful when shared. Blogging about a new outfit? Sure. Sharing tips on how to self-mutilate? No go. Tumblr, for one, has had enough.  The site is cracking the whip with a new content policy that plans to prohibit inappropriate material.

Tumblr’s staff blog discloses that blogs that “glorify or promote anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders; self-mutilation; or suicide” will be flagged or even banned. This means that the users who promote such content will either have to delete the content or accompany it with a “public service warning that directs readers to helplines.” The rules are yet to be finalized.

With so many blogs and ever-so-clever users, who are bound to find loopholes, how will Tumblr effectively Big Brother the entire site? Well, flagging search words is a start. The site will set public service announcements when words like  “purging” and “thinspo” are searched.

This is definitely a much-needed step in the right direction, but we can’t help but wonder if users will flock to other blogging sites to promote their content. We hope other blogging sites will follow suit to put an end to what may become a vicious circle.