Study shows that many troubled teens post videos of self-injury online

By Staff Writer

Many people use the site YouTube to post videos of what they like to do. However, some troubled teens use it to depict images of what they do to their bodies. Some adolescents engage in cutting and embedding to relieve stress or emotional pressure that builds up over time.

A recent study published in the journal Pediatrics found that many troubled teens use video sites like YouTube to show these behaviors behaviors.

Researchers said that some individuals who view these images repeatedly could become desensitized to the behavior and see self-injury as normal. The study searched for the top 100 most-viewed videos about self-injury or self-harm and found that they were viewed more than 2.3 million times and rated favorably by those who watched them.

The study revealed that 42 percent of the videos took a neutral stance toward cutting, 26 percent discouraged self-injury and 23 percent had a mixed message about the behavior. Researcher said that some videos depicted individuals expressing their experiences, dispelling myths or attempting educate people.