The Impact of Social Network Content on Auto-aggression and Self-harming Behaviour in Adolescents
Year: 2025
Type: conference-paper
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Numerous research have shown the rate of non-suicidal self-harm among young people ranges from 14% to 21%.Those who self-harm have a risk of suicide that is thirty times higher than the general population.Teens who self-harm and have suicidal tendencies look to social media for support, escape, or even inspiration.However, social media is full of disruptive content and risks of dangerous interactions.The objective of the research was to identify the prevalence and accessibility of destructive content on different social media platforms for adolescents, and how this content can lead to auto-aggression and self-harming behaviour.We first reviewed 25 studies on the impact of destructive content on social media on the escalation of self-harming and suicidal behaviour in adolescents.We then conducted a content analysis of various social media for self-destructive content.In addition, we surveyed 236 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19 to find out how often they encounter such content and how it affects them.According to a review of research and content analyses, there is a wide use of different ways of showing self-harm on social media -a combination of self-harm photos, videos, text images, etc.Moreover, images of more serious self-harm attracted more attention and comments.Viewing self-harm-related images online may increase the risk of self-harm.Social networks do host harmful content: up to 71.2% of survey participants said they had encountered such content without being specifically asked to do so.It is alarming that 22% of the teenagers surveyed thought about doing something risky, hurting themselves, hurting someone, or even committing suicide.From the results of previous and current studies, it is more than obvious that the destructive content of social networking sites affects the behaviour of adolescents, namely provoking auto-aggression and self-harm, normalises and popularises such behaviour.The results of the questionnaire survey and analysis of the content of social networking sites indicate the need to strengthen content censorship and tighten age restrictions.Of course, we need to hold classes and training on media education for children, parents and teachers to help form the right attitude to destructive content among teenagers.
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4410355030