Self-harm, suicide and social media

IN FEBRUARY, Instagram announced it would ban graphic self-harm images from the platform. The social media company had been under pressure from the UK government and health professionals including Dame Sally Davies, England’s chief medical officer, who argued that social media companies have a duty of care to keep children safe.

There is growing concern that such content has the effect of grooming people to take their own lives, according to Jackie Doyle-Price, Britain’s undersecretary for mental health, inequalities and suicide prevention.