The pandemic worsened eating disorders among adolescents, particularly girls. Eating disorders, a psychiatric illness where an adolescent tries to control their weight with severe food restriction (anorexia) or purging (bulimia), can be fatal. How much does web content and algorithms that power web search contribute to eating disorders? Imagine a girl who is unhappy about her weight and looks for dieting tips online. It does not take long for search algorithms to lead her to extreme content that promotes anorexia and extreme weight loss. The goal of this project is to audit the web for potentially harmful content and communities that promote eating disorders.
