Digital Self Harm

It’s important that we pay special attention to any new trends that are sparked by the growing presence of smartphones and technology in today’s youth culture. One new trend has been labeled as “digital self-harm”, and it’s on the rise among our teenagers. Listen carefully to this definition of digital self-harm: “it’s a form of self-aggression that involves anonymously posting hurtful and sometimes verbally abusive remarks about one’s self online.” Kids will create anonymous social media accounts which then use to post these comments targeted at themselves. Why, you may ask, are kids doing this? According to the journal of adolescent health, teens are doing this as a mechanism to regulate and express their feelings of self-hatred and sadness, in addition to gaining attention from family and friends who will sympathize and reach out without knowing the real source of the comments. Parents, the God-shaped hole in our kids is growing, and it needs to be answered with the Gospel.