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Social media, self-harm, and suicide.

Sebastian Scherr1

  • 1Department of Communication, Texas A&M University, 202E Bolton Hall, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.

Current Opinion in Psychology
|March 27, 2022
PubMed
Summary

This study defines self-harm and suicide-related (SHS) content on social media, exploring its impact and antecedents. Understanding SHS content is crucial for addressing online risks and audience effects.

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Area of Science:

  • Social Media Studies
  • Media Psychology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Social media content related to self-harm and suicide (SHS) lacks clear definition, leading to fragmented audience effect research.
  • The diverse nature of SHS content poses challenges for regulation and media effects studies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To define and categorize SHS content on social media with potential negative audience effects.
  • To examine social media use as a factor contributing to self-harm and suicide.
  • To review social media features influencing exposure to problematic SHS content.

Main Methods:

  • Content analysis and taxonomy development for SHS content.
  • Literature review on social media use and its relation to self-harm/suicide.
  • Analysis of social media platform features (affordances) impacting content exposure.

Main Results:

  • A taxonomy categorizing SHS content as explicit, implicit, or ambivalent is proposed.
  • Various forms of social media engagement are identified as potential antecedents to self-harm and suicide.
  • Specific social media affordances are linked to increased exposure to harmful SHS content.

Conclusions:

  • A clear definition and taxonomy of SHS content are essential for media effects research and regulation.
  • Understanding the interplay between social media use, content characteristics, and user behavior is critical.
  • Addressing the regulation of diverse SHS content on social media remains a significant future challenge.

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