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Time magazine online looks at controversy over cutting videos on Youtube

I recently spoke to a reporter from Time magazine online's health section about concerns being raised by some healthcare researchers over YouTube videos depicting cutting in a context that could be seen as advocating the behavior or giving vulnerable young people a "how-to" guide to self-harm. While graphic images depicted in some of these videos may be triggering for people who already cut, I don't believe large numbers of the general population will begin taking up the behavior because they see something about it on the Internet. It is distressing that some people seek to glorify as fun or cool what is a deeply complex means of coping with psychological pain. There are similar websites and videos that promote eating disorders, and even suicide. But as someone who has studied self-injury and interviewed thousands of cutters since the early 1990s, I feel confident in stating that people do not cut themselves, nor starve themselves, nor kill themselves because there are websites that advocate those behaviors. People deliberately harm themselves because they have found no other means of verbalizing their pain and discharging overwhelming emotions. In fact, the Internet has done a lot more good than harm for people who self-injure, giving people a safe and anonymous place to go to for information about a problem too long cloaked in shame and secrecy. Many websites offer good information about what cutting means and how to get help. There are even virtual support groups to help people stop cutting. The debate, however, is an interesting one and you can read about it yourself here: http://healthland.time.com/2011/02/23/self-mutilation-videos-on-youtube-may-cause-kids-to-hurt-themselves/

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