Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Social media: the root cause of rising youth self-harm or a convenient scapegoat?R ecent events have reignited debate over whether social media is the root cause of increasing youth self-harm and suicide.Social media is a fertile ground for disseminating harmful content, including graphic imagery and messages depicting gendered violence and religious intolerance.This proliferation of harmful content makes social media an unwelcoming space, especially for women, minority groups, and young people, who are more likely to be targeted by such content, strengthening the narrative that social media is at the crux of a youth mental health crisis.However, the parallel rise in social media use and youth mental health problems does not imply a causal relationship.Increased social media use may be a correlate, exacerbating factor, or a consequence of rising trends in youth self-harm, which may have entirely separate causes.Despite its potential negative impacts, social media is also a source of information and support for young people experiencing mental health problems.1 Restricting young people's access to social media could impede pathways for help-seeking.This complexity highlights the need for a considered approach.The argument that social media is the root cause of rising rates of youth self-harm Rising self-harm over recent decades coincides with the advent of smartphones.Research shows an 8-11% increase in self-harm among young people, 2 along with increases in depression and anxiety.This increase became apparent around 2010-12, 3 affecting those born after 1995 who entered adolescence during the ascendence of social media and smartphones.In his book The anxious generation, 3 Jonathan Haidt argues that widespread adoption of social media, coupled with overly restrictive parenting practices, is the cause of increasing self-harm, brought about via "a new way of growing up".Others suggest that sharing of content depicting suicide methods or romanticising self-harm might contribute to an increase in self-harm behaviours through a process of social contagion.4 These trends have raised concerns among parents and politicians, leading to calls for restricting access to digital platforms.5 Technological innovations have historically influenced social norms and societal structures, so it is crucial to take these concerns seriously.However, the argument that social media is the cause of rising trends in youth self-harm is relatively weak. Evidence that the argument is weak Future Fund Million Minds Suicide Prevention Grant (APP1200195). Alexis
Source: The Medical Journal of Australia
DOI: 10.5694/mja2.52503
Institution: Black Dog Institute
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,240
OpenAlex ID: W4403880090