Jwana Aziz

As a research fellow at the University of Birmingham, I’m currently leading two projects focused on online harms. One examines the harmful effects of online mediation in digital spaces, and the other takes an anthropological approach to eating disorders. Our research began by investigating extreme online content related to eating disorders as well as mainstream wellness and weight-loss trends, which, although presented as healthy and aspirational, often encourage harmful attitudes towards food, body image, and lifestyle. Recently, we expanded our focus to explore male-oriented online spaces, including Andrew Tate’s influence, self-improvement forums, and red pill culture. While these spaces are known for misogynistic views, we uncovered unexpected pressures around male body image and instances of grooming and predatory behavior. Our findings are helping to map the harmful connections and patterns within the broader online landscape.