Fatphobic Letter Informs UK Parliament That Memes Cause Teen Obesity
LatestResearchers at Loughborough University sent a letter to an English parliamentary committee arguing that memes lead to teenage obesity by making light of unhealthy eating habits, CNN reports.
Referencing a few dated memes in their study, the researchers argue that “a substantial number of individuals on Twitter share health-related Internet memes, with both positive and negative messages” that “contain inappropriate material.” They argue that “there is evidence of uncritical consumption of on-line health-related information by teenagers and a lack of regulation and quality control in relation to on-line health information,” and that “there is a need to be aware of the over optimism of young teenagers with regard to their own online vulnerability.”