What codes do young people use on social media to talk about self-harm?
Non-suicidal self-harm among young people and adolescents has increased significantly in recent years. However, this problem receives very little attention in society, and access to reliable information and support resources is limited.
Young people who self-harm are creating digital communities on social media where they find others who share the same behavior and with whom to share their pain and experiences. To circumvent the rules and regulations that limit the publication of sensitive content, such as images of self-harm or words that encourage such behavior, these young people have developed their own language.
The guide "Open Your Eyes to Self-Harm on Social Media ," produced by the Comkids research group at Rey Juan Carlos University , aims to inform and raise awareness about the language used on social media by young people who self-harm to connect with each other and share content related to these behaviors. It also provides information on the early warning signs of self-harm and how to respond to them.
What can I do if my son or daughter self-harms?
Find a space to communicate
The reasons for self-harm can be diverse and complex, and are generally linked to the individual's relationship with their family or social environment . Data indicates that it is more common among young people between the ages of fourteen and seventeen; however, it is important to note that there is no specific profile that differentiates between social classes, ethnicities, or genders.
Teenagers who self-harm are creating their own language on social media to talk about it, circumventing rules that limit the posting of sensitive content.
These behaviors stem from pain felt so intensely that the only way to soothe it is through self-harm. It's a way to self-regulate, find relief, and gain a sense of control. Socially, these behaviors are condemned and stigmatized. For this reason, young people who self-harm feel shame and guilt about being judged by their parents or others, and therefore turn to social media, where they seek others with whom to share this behavior, to be understood, to share their concerns and doubts, and to feel a sense of security within the anonymity.
In these digital communities, people believe they find peace and security. However, these spaces contribute to normalizing these behaviors. Therefore, it is important to raise awareness about this situation, which should be addressed by mental health professionals.
Risk and protective factors for self-harm
Metalanguage for talking about non-suicidal self-harm
Content generated on social media distorts the reality surrounding these behaviors and limits the ability to express oneself using a specific number of characters, images, memes, and emoticons, primarily intended to convey moods. This guide compiles the most representative keywords and images used by online communities to discuss self-harm.
This metalanguage is composed of images of real cuts combined with visual metaphors of self-harm cuts, such as zebra crossings or barcodes .
English expressions like #selfharm or #ouch , among others, tag the content and facilitate connection among young people who self-harm. And memes or more elaborate images reference the moods, such as guilt, joy, or sadness, caused by self-harm.
On the other hand, it is common for them to use sweetened or childlike images , such as kittens or manga-style images, to configure the anonymous profiles with which they identify, generating a romanticized image of non-suicidal self-harm.
Becoming familiar with these codes can be important in helping to prevent self-harm in our young population.
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