Mobile App ‘High School Story’ Takes On The Topic Of Eating Disorders

High school story, a free mobile app geared toward teen girls, has included a storyline about eating disorders in its latest update.

Earlier this year, the game tackled the topic of cyber bullying by parting with a non-profit charity – the goal being to raise awareness about the issue, which many teen girls face.

Now, the game’s creator, Pixelberry Studios, has teamed up with the National Eating Disorder Association to include a character named Mia, who previously had an eating disorder. In the game, Mia will experience triggers that represent realistic struggles of teen girls with eating disorders.

“The takeaway is to encourage players to be willing to talk about any issues or problems they have with body image or eating disorders, so if their friends have a problem of they themselves have a problem, they’re willing to share them and talk about them,” Oliver Miao, CEO of Pixelberry, told Polygon.

4 in 5 females don’t feel comfortable with their bodies

After seeing Mia’s character faced with eating disorder triggers, players are prompted to answer questions about how they would respond.

“The eating disorder experts reviewed the scripts to make sure we discussed body image and eating disorders in a responsible way,” Miao said.

He noted that one statistic suggested four out of five females under the age of 17 don’t feel comfortable with their bodies.

“We’re hoping to make players feel comfortable with themselves and to know that who they are is already great.”

Source: Polygon, Boston Globe