Unfortunately, many popular online topics and challenges can trigger teens’ urges to self-harm, often due to social pressure, a need for approval, and a lack of awareness of how to handle negative emotions. Here are some examples: 1. **Mean Comment Tide**: On social media platforms, especially TikTok and Twitter, users post mean comments, which can lead to feelings of self-doubt, depression, and self-harm. 2. **“My Survival Story” Challenges**: Online users share stories of their overcoming personal struggles, such as physical abuse, mental health issues, or trauma. While these stories can be inspiring, they can also trigger unprocessed trauma and lead to self-harm behaviors. 3. **Sad Music and Videos**: Music and videos of pain, loneliness, or despair can exacerbate negative emotions and lead to thoughts of self-harm. 4. **“Teen Angst” Culture**: Discussions of anxiety, depression, and self-harm on social media can create a community that feels like they should experience these emotions, too. This can lead to peer pressure and copycat behaviors. 5. **“Harm Threshold” Challenges**: Social media challenges encourage users to test their tolerance for physical pain, such as by subjecting themselves to increasingly intense physical stimulation or engaging in self-harm behaviors. 6. **“Perfect” and “Imperfect” Online Topics**: Discussions about “perfection” and “imperfection” of one’s background, body, or lifestyle can lead to body dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, and self-harmful behaviors. 7. **Tragic Events and Traumatic News**: The spread of traumatic events on social media can trigger strong emotions that lead to self-harmful thoughts or behaviors, especially in individuals who already have mental health issues. 8. **“Suicide Awareness” Discussions**: While suicide awareness is important, open discussions on social media can trigger unprocessed trauma and exacerbate negative emotions. 9. **Like-minded Online Groups and Forums**: While finding like-minded people may bring a sense of belonging and support, it can also create a community that perpetuates self-harmful behaviors and negative emotions. 10. **“Be True to Yourself” Challenges**: Online users share their most vulnerable moments, which can lead to feelings of self-exposure and exacerbate negative emotions. It is important to note that these online topics and challenges affect everyone differently and different people may experience different effects. If you are concerned that a teen or yourself may be in danger, seek support from a trusted adult, a mental health professional, or a crisis hotline such as the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-TALK (8255).