‘I chose the bad’: Youth's meaning making of being involved in self‐harm content online during adolescence

Abstract

This article aims to explore how young adults (18-23) who have a history of selfharm experienced involvement in self-harm content online during adolescence. The qualitative data analysis follows the steps of Interpretative phenomenological analysis and resulted in four meta-themes: (1) 'Solitude during adolescence-finally found a place to fit in', (2) 'Tempting but dangerous-a game that never should end',(3) 'Searching for self-it was like an online diary' and (4) 'No one in charge'. Each superordinate theme characterizes essential features of subjective reasons for becoming involved in and their way out of self-harm content online. Digital involvement is discussed in light of developmental challenges during adolescence-such as exploration of borders, autonomy and self-identity formation. For lonely people, online involvement with self-harm content may enable 'a potential space' in between reality and fiction sufficient for relational and personal exploration. Involvement in self-harm content online may cover a need to belong, to express and share problems, and for support. This knowledge should inform clinicians to ask patients about involvement in risk content online and motivate decision-makers to develop ways to detect and support vulnerable adolescents online and offline.

#BeSeen: understanding young people’s views of the motivation and impacts of sharing self-harm imagery online and use of their social media data for research—a UK participatory arts-led qualitative study

“…Non-RAS participants were also more likely to have a history of self-harm and felt comfortable offering different views and perspectives. The motivations and impacts of self-harm expressed during the interviews were in keeping with existing literature, 46 suggesting that while exposure to self-harm online offers a digital arena to sharing and exploring, it concurrently may be triggering 47 and possibly increase self-harm behaviours. 48 49 …”

A transitional object for relatedness and self‐development—A meta‐synthesis of youths' experience of engagement in self‐harm content online

“…Studies show that young people seldom tell their parents about experiences of harmful content online (Livingstone et al, 2022; Stänicke, 2022). There is a need for knowledge about what triggers imitation, what hinders repulsion and how to make it easier for young people to ask for help.…”

“…Multimedia shows are discussed as a “transitional object” for their teen audiences, providing a “potential space” in which they can learn how to cope with the challenges of a media‐saturated society (e.g., Krüger & Rustad, 2019). The digital space can be understood as an extended peer arena with a particular kind of transitional or potential space – in between an inner and outer world (Stänicke, 2022). In this article, engagement in SCO is discussed as a transitional object enabling basic experiences of relatedness and self‐definition that are of importance for exploring social roles, borders between self and others, and self‐identity during adolescence.…”