Facebook Removes “Feeling Fat” Option from Status Box after Online Backlash
Facebook Removes “Feeling Fat” Option from Status Box after Online Backlash – After major backlash online and a Change.org petition, Facebook announced that it has removed the “feeling fat” option from its status drop down box.
We remember the days when people wrote their statuses like they were finishing sentences, i.e.: “is loving this new NBC show called The Office!” So sure, Facebook has come a long way, but this additional feature did not sit well with a lot of people.
Catherine Weingarten and the group Endangered Bodies started an online campaign to remove the “feeling fat” emoticon option, saying it was harmful to those struggling with body issues.
The petition read, “When Facebook users set their status to ‘feeling fat,’ they are making fun of people who consider themselves to be overweight, which can include many people with eating disorders. That is not ok.”
The petition quickly got well over 10,000 signatures, and the hashtag ‘Fat is Not a Feeling’ spread over Twitter and Facebook. Two weeks after the Change.org petition went live, Facebook responded and removed the emoticon and mood from the status drop down menu.
Facebook said in a statement that the decision was based on feedback from users.
Category: News Videos, Videos
