Should Eugenia Cooney Be Banned From YouTube Because Of Her Eating Disorder?

Question

For those of you who don't know, Eugenia Cooney is a popular YouTuber with almost 900,000 subscribers, most of whom are 12-21 year old girls. However, as you can see by the picture, this chica is severely underweight yet insists that doctors say she is fine. However, despite the visual evidence in all 274 videos on her channel of her body weight continuing to decline, Eugenia insists that she's perfectly fine and is not anorexic.

There's a petition on Change. org to get her temporarily banned from YouTube because people believe she's having a negative impact on her female fans. Eugenia, however, believes she's not doing anything wrong, is in perfect health, and is claiming that she's being harassed. The petition already has over 11,000 signatures supporting the removal of her channel. Here's the link to the petition.

It's to the point where other YouTubers are actually commenting and making videos of their own pleading that someone stage an intervention and save her from her malnutrition and destructive ways. I've posted one below by popular YouTuber Onision that he created on his channel UhOhBro and OnisionSpeaks.

So what do you think? You can read more about it here.

lumos · Accepted Answer

I really don't agree with banning someone for the way they look. Like if you're going to ban her for having an eating disorder then we should also start banning obese youtubers. After all, they're "promoting" an unhealthy lifestyle too.
Trying to censor or ban people because they look a certain way is utter bullshit. The people getting "influenced" by her to the point of developing an eating disorder have underlying issues to begin with (!!!), and just because someone like Eugenia might slightly trigger those types of behaviors and disorders, it does NOT mean that she directly caused them and that the viewer was completely at her mercy. You don't just develop issues like that from looking at people who are skinny and underweight, there are underlying problems that are beyond (for instance) Eugenia's power. Even if Eugenia quit or got banned, I'm sure those who are starving themselves "because of her", would find someone else to "look up to" and project their issues onto. Because they're so deeply rooted. Those problems were already there and were bound to happen somehow. You can't protect these types of people from everything in the world that might trigger their disorder (s). But what you can do is help them. And you don't help them by removing people like Eugenia and pretending they don't exist.
I'm all for Eugenia getting help if she really is suffering from some kind of disorder or mental health issues (none of us have the right to speak on her behalf so I won't start speculating about what she may or may not have) but at the end of the day I really don't feel like banning her is right. That's not a step in the right direction and I feel like it would create a snowball effect.

xHoneyxBeex · Accepted Answer

I don't believe she should be banned. Ultimately, people are responsible for themselves. I've never really agreed with the concept of blaming the media for influencing people to do negative things. The media (or in this case, Youtube videos) may depict certain negative things but everyone is still in control of their own actions. I'm just a strong believer in the concept of personal responsibility. If the parents of the young women who watch her channel are so concerned, perhaps they should spend more time talking to their daughters and teaching them about what is healthy and what is not.

From briefly looking at her Youtube channel, it looks like she mostly focuses on fashion, makeup, and things like that. So again, I see no reason to ban her from making videos if that's something she enjoys.

That being said, I do believe she desperately needs help. She's obviously not at a healthy body weight and I seriously question any doctor who told her that this is "okay." Anorexia is not just a body issue, it's a mental issue as well. She's clearly in denial that there is a problem. I hope she has caring and supportive people in her life who will get her the help she needs.

Milkandcookies · Accepted Answer

That's really offensive. Of course Eugenia has some sort of eating disorder but who give anyone watching her gidoes the right to know about her personal struggles? Maybe she doesn't want to share her whole life on the internet where everyone can see. I've had severe anorexia way back when i was 9 to 14 was when i finally recovered. But it took me a year to finally get help and another couple of years to actually get better. Recovery is a slow process. My sister had anorexia aswell and she constanly denied at first and refused to get help. This is a classic case. Her parents and herswlf are the only people that can help her get the help she needs. No one on youtube can help her and no one can forced her. Anorexia is terrible and feels like a living hell. Calling her all these names and trying to ban her from youtube (which is probably the only place she feels comfortable and forgets about her struggles) is so insensitive and rude. Not okay. It is also not her fault at all that little girls want to be as skinny as her. She has never said ANYTHING about tjis to her fans. And she doesn't need to.

damnwinter · Accepted Answer

She does not look healthy, so there is probably an issue there. But even so, people who are dealing with this sort of thing should not be rejected. That will not help. They should be helped in the real sense of the word. Banning her won't help anybody. She needs to feel accepted and included, most likely, not the other way around.

astrOnaut01 · Accepted Answer

Ew.

There is no way that doctors say she is fine, she is either in total denial or psychotic. Anyway, maybe she should be banned - That is, if she actively encourages her viewers to follow her eating habits.

ThisDudeHere · Accepted Answer

"she's having a negative impact" Anything and I mean ANYTHING will have a negative impact on someone somewhere. Where will you draw a line though?

Relentless_Hippie · Answer

I voted other, she's not actively encouraging young girls to starve themselves and while they are impressionable and are probably wanting to be like her it isn't Eugenia's fault. She genuinely can't see anything wrong with her appearance and she can't even fathom the idea that she isn't healthy. Eugenia has a disorder and it's preventing her from seeing the reality of things.

If people just look at her and then decide they want to be skinny, not because she told them to, but just because that's how their mind functions then it's not her fault. That's like saying a gay youtuber is encouraging people to be gay, or a fat youtuber is encouraging people to be fat, or someone with hiv is encouraging people to get hiv.

She can't control the thinking patterns of other people and she especially can't deliver a message of self love when she can't see that she has a life threatening problem. So, no I don't think she should be banned but I do think something should be done. Maybe YouTube could ask her to get some help and provide her with some resources.

It's a difficult call to make. The way other people think isn't her fault, but she is in a position of great influence and she should take it more seriously. But how do you ask someone like that to change themselves when they can't see anything that needs changing?

MargaritaPeach · Answer

She is skeletal, and it looks pretty unhealthy. But she refuses to get help, or even admit that she needs it; sadly, this is one of the symptoms of anorexia. But I think that banning someone who is suffering from an illness is wrong. Are those battling cancer next? Guess what, they're dying too. But that's no reason to snuff out their freedom of speech or their rights to express themselves. Maybe someone suffering from this disease will see from her videos how ugly and insidious this disease really is. Maybe this will inspire someone to get help.

cipher42 · Answer

Honestly this one's a tough one, as I do dislike how the media so often present super skinny people as what people should aim to look like, which is just plain unhealthy. However, I do also believe in personal freedom, and I can't say that I would support banning obese people, or smokers, or for that matter junk food ads, so if I supported her ban I feel that would be hypocritical. Besides, one chick on YouTube is honestly not that huge of a problem, seeing how prevalent major media encouragement of unhealthy habits is. Like, I feel the attention would be much better focused on larger issues.

IJWTD-AFML · Answer

She shouldn't be ban. I mean it's okay if she likes to entertain and make videos. But she should stop lying and get some help. The thing is that a lot of anorexics especially at that stage are in full denial and do not want help and really just want to die being skinny. It's horrible. I think she just needs so much help from people around her instead of being banned. And of course pro-ana girls love her and worship her skinny body.

DaddyRollingStone · Answer

Why would you remove her channel? So she could be forced to leave her house and get a job where she feels vulnerable? And why do women look through all types of media for excuses to validate their existence, you want to ban Eugenia because you think adult women will watch her videos and think it is ok to be anorexic. I don't understand this mentality, either of them actually.

1. That we need to regulate what people see because some people are too stupid for their own good
2. Why people, usually women, would look at someone online or tv, or in a magazine and think that since someone published a models photo that would make it ok for them kill themselves.

She makes videos in her living room for a living, she isn't a role model or anything. So who the hell cares?

ginny_weasley · Answer

I totally believed she didn't have an eating disorder for a while, but I recant that statement. She is an entertainer so I think her fans make her happy, if she is banned, she could become depressed. And who knows how she will react beyond that. What I am mainly wondering is, where is her family in this mess? They should've forced her into rehab by now.

Cmasterson · Answer

No I don't think she should be banned, its not like she's advertising "hey be this skinny!" its not that easy for people will eating disorders to be changing overnight, if theyre influencing "young girls" maybe their internet should be monitored by their parents. I have mixed feelings too, seems like people care more about how she's influencing others than the actual health of her.

Bleh-___- · Answer

Not at all. She doesn't advocate eating disorders and even if she did, like others have mentioned, who is to say you can't ban other channels that encourage unhealthy lifestyles (obesity, substance abuse, etc.)? If a parent is concerned about her being a dangerous influence to their child, it's up to them to manage what their child watches, not try to ban every person who may have have a "negative impact" on them. Censorship isn't the way to go.

somebodysaycheese · Answer

anorexia ( body dyshpora) and gender dysphora is in the same family.. literally. If she is leaving a negative impacts so is transgender people and ther 100 genders.
If these people have a right to have a youtube channel so can she. We can't pick and choose what to accept. She is a grown woman who has chosen to live her life a ceratin way.

madhatters4 · Answer

i signed a change. org petition to get her help. i don't know if she should be banned, i think more important is informing the public of the dangers of being so drastically underweight.

so i guess i think there should simply be better balance to show the significant and often fatal health risks of anorexia and similar disorders

tattooedhandfet · Answer

Poor kid needs help.
My opinion on this is if we don't wanna watch her, we don't have to. There are many people out there in the world with eating disorders. Even celebrities, but we don't have a petition to remove them from being casted in a movie.

Jxpxtxr · Answer

I do get that you all "want the best" but honestly as someone who's recovering from anorexia I can tell you that extreme reactions like this are absolutely not the way because it does nothing but make her feel like shit about herself, especially this campaign against her downvoting every single video she uploads I mean that's literally just cyber bullying at this point - wtf people?

vishna · Answer

She definitely is having a negative impact on her viewers, that's not how a body should look unless starved or the person has a medical condition. Her denial of both of those is wrong, and she's lying to herself and her fans.
Should she be banned? I don't know, how is her disorder against youtube policies? I don't think she's ever said "don't eat, be skinny, yolo" but it's the impression some of her young, impressionable fans might take home "this is ok" when it's not.

woefulfairies · Answer

hell no. banning her from youtube won't help anything. its ultimately the fans' choice as well as their parents' to make the decision to have an eating disorder, you don't see her telling kids "stop eating and you'll be pretty!", she even said she doesn't see herself as a role model. people are becoming so freaking soft nowadays, youtube is something she loves to do, and y'all are taking that away from her for something she can't help.

Raymond_Reddington · Answer

When will people finally learn to mind their own business i wonder. Will Boogie get banned for being overweight? No nobody complains about his weight. Except for himself and his daughter then lol

Bandit74 · Answer

I hate people that try to ban or boycott things.

They think "I don't want to watch this, therefore no one else should be allowed to watch it" or "I dont want to hear this person speak, therefore no one else should be allowed to hear this person speak".

I wouldn't want to watch this girl because she's gross to look at, but if other people want to watch her then thats none of my concern. She isn't breaking any laws or violating Youtube's code of conduct.

Phoenix98 · Answer

I've never watched her but um yeah when you start to look like a human skeleton wearing a thin skin suit then your not within healthy weight levels and she is defiantly not in a healthy weight.

Any doctors who are saying she is perfectly fine need to lose their licensee because they are not doing their job.

anonman32 · Answer

Some people are banned from youtube because others have their feelings hurt. If thats gonna be the case then they should ban this bitch too.

Jaded214 · Answer

I think a temporary ban and intervention is definitely necessary. She looks very ill. I don't get the people that argue that she's not unhealthy or promoting unhealthy behaviors, but turn around and lose their shit when they see a fat person even utter a word about body acceptance. This is the other end of that spectrum.

Artesian · Answer

If her only 'crime' is being very thin, and she isn't frequently (or even occasionally) discussing it and it is not part of her shtick online, then no. She shouldn't be banned.

She shouldn't be banned anymore than we should remove any rock videos produced by rock stars when they were known to be abusing drugs.

Should Eugenia Cooney Be Banned From YouTube Because Of Her Eating Disorder?

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