Non-Suicidal Self Injury and Social MediaKealagh Robinson & A/Prof Marc Wilson

Social Media Usage among Teenagers

• 95% of all teenagers are online• 81% use some kind of social media• A third of teenagers exchange messages

daily on social network sites

Function of the Internet

Identity and Connection:Online communication creates place for personal bonding and anonymous disclosure.

(Bargh, Mckenna & Fitzsimons, 2002)

Teenagers who self-injure say that online they- Obtain support - Express themselves freely- Feel safe to do so due to anonymity and privacy. (Murray & Fox, 2006).

Engaging Online: Photographic Sites

(Baker & Lewis, 2013)

Positive Perspective: • Show bad it can get• Creates a place of support• Looking at the photos can reduce

the impulse

..”Seeing these pictures givesme a release and sense of calm: itcurbs my urges to cut. Also, knowingthat I’m not alone in this is comforting…”

Engaging Online: Photographic Sites

(Baker & Lewis, 2013)

Negative Perspective: • Social irresponsible• Triggers viewers• Creates a competition• Normalises self injury• Glamorises self injury

..” It seems as though people are trying to make art out of it and deepening a connection with it.. . . Aren’t you concerned people will fall into the romance of it?

Engaging Online: Videos

Analyzed the most popular 50 character videos & 50 non-character videos. 80% accessible to general audiences. Explicit representation of self-injury

- 90% of non-character videos had graphic photographs- 28% of character videos had in-action self-injury

(Lewis, Heath, Denis & Nobel,2011)

(Lewis & Baker, 2011)

Examined the comments on the 100 most popular self-injury videos. Global comments:38% self-disclosed a personal history of self-injury17% admired the message15% admired the uploader11% offered encouragement

Recovery themed comments:Very few positive comments. 43% did not mention recovery and 34% indicated that they were still self-injuring.

Reception of Videos

(Duggan, Heath, Lewis & Baxter 2012)

Informal and Professional Support Websites

Informal Websites: • Range of triggering content• Accessed more often• Often hosted by Facebook & other

social media websites• Themes of hopelessness,

desperation and encouragement

Professional Websites: • Don’t post graphic images• Separate NSSI and suicidality• Themes of recovery and support

Issue of Contagion

Individual differences in susceptibility(Aral & Walker, 2012)

Self reports of hearing about self injury(Hodgson, 2004)

Some evidence in certain samples (Hodgson, 2004)

“prohibit [posts promoting self-harm], as a statement against the very ideas of self-harm that they are advancing”

“Online dialogue about these acts and conditions is incredibly important; this prohibition is intended to reach only those blogs that

cross the line into active promotion or glorification”

Response of Social Media

Discussion….