Analyzing tweets before and after Meta’s graphic self-harm imagery ban: a content analysis
Aim: The spread of suicide and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) content on social media has raised ongoing concerns about user safety and mental health. In response, social media platforms like Twitter (now X) and Meta (i.e., Facebook and Instagram) introduced content moderation policies to mitigate...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Open Exploration Publishing Inc.
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Exploration of Digital Health Technologies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.explorationpub.com/uploads/Article/A101154/101154.pdf |
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| author | Elnaz Moghimi Kevin Keller Sanjeef Thampinathan William Cipolli Hayden P. Smith |
| author_facet | Elnaz Moghimi Kevin Keller Sanjeef Thampinathan William Cipolli Hayden P. Smith |
| author_sort | Elnaz Moghimi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Aim: The spread of suicide and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) content on social media has raised ongoing concerns about user safety and mental health. In response, social media platforms like Twitter (now X) and Meta (i.e., Facebook and Instagram) introduced content moderation policies to mitigate harm and promote safer digital environments. This study explored immediate trends in user discourse surrounding suicide and NSSI following the enactment of Meta’s graphic self-harm imagery ban. Specifically, it examined shifts in tweet tone, content type, and underlying themes immediately before and after the policy’s implementation. Methods: A corpus of 3,846 tweets was analyzed. Within this corpus, tweets spanning 32 weeks from October 18, 2018, to May 29, 2019, were selected. These dates were chosen to encompass approximately 16 weeks before and after the enactment of the policy on February 7, 2019. Tweets were categorized according to slant, tweet category, and theme. Results: The findings revealed notable shifts in online discourse. There was a significant decrease in the proportion of tweets identified as anti-self-harm tweets and a corresponding increase in the proportion of tweets aimed at understanding self-harm, many of which were coded as personal opinions or informative content. These trends suggest that while content promoting self-harm did not increase, the tone of discourse shifted toward greater nuance and reflection. This may reflect users’ growing efforts to process, contextualize, and share perspectives on self-harm in a policy-regulated environment. Conclusions: Meta’s graphic self-harm imagery ban appeared to influence how users communicated about suicide and NSSI on Twitter, prompting more content centered on understanding and discussion. However, the findings also highlight challenges in balancing harm reduction with space for personal narratives. These insights emphasize the role of policy in shaping public discourse and the need for clear moderation strategies that distinguish harmful promotion from lived experience and peer support. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-68b87d76066c40b3bd7cd837f6ca7e48 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2996-9409 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Open Exploration Publishing Inc. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Exploration of Digital Health Technologies |
| spelling | doaj-art-68b87d76066c40b3bd7cd837f6ca7e482025-08-20T03:30:52ZengOpen Exploration Publishing Inc.Exploration of Digital Health Technologies2996-94092025-06-01310115410.37349/edht.2025.101154Analyzing tweets before and after Meta’s graphic self-harm imagery ban: a content analysisElnaz Moghimi0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1010-284XKevin Keller1Sanjeef Thampinathan2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8687-3536William Cipolli3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4236-5254Hayden P. Smith4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5000-5094Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care, Penetanguishene, ON L9M 1G3, Canada; Faculty of Health Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 7X3, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, CanadaDepartment of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USAFaculty of Health Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 7X3, CanadaDepartment of Mathematics, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY 13346, USADepartment of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USAAim: The spread of suicide and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) content on social media has raised ongoing concerns about user safety and mental health. In response, social media platforms like Twitter (now X) and Meta (i.e., Facebook and Instagram) introduced content moderation policies to mitigate harm and promote safer digital environments. This study explored immediate trends in user discourse surrounding suicide and NSSI following the enactment of Meta’s graphic self-harm imagery ban. Specifically, it examined shifts in tweet tone, content type, and underlying themes immediately before and after the policy’s implementation. Methods: A corpus of 3,846 tweets was analyzed. Within this corpus, tweets spanning 32 weeks from October 18, 2018, to May 29, 2019, were selected. These dates were chosen to encompass approximately 16 weeks before and after the enactment of the policy on February 7, 2019. Tweets were categorized according to slant, tweet category, and theme. Results: The findings revealed notable shifts in online discourse. There was a significant decrease in the proportion of tweets identified as anti-self-harm tweets and a corresponding increase in the proportion of tweets aimed at understanding self-harm, many of which were coded as personal opinions or informative content. These trends suggest that while content promoting self-harm did not increase, the tone of discourse shifted toward greater nuance and reflection. This may reflect users’ growing efforts to process, contextualize, and share perspectives on self-harm in a policy-regulated environment. Conclusions: Meta’s graphic self-harm imagery ban appeared to influence how users communicated about suicide and NSSI on Twitter, prompting more content centered on understanding and discussion. However, the findings also highlight challenges in balancing harm reduction with space for personal narratives. These insights emphasize the role of policy in shaping public discourse and the need for clear moderation strategies that distinguish harmful promotion from lived experience and peer support.https://www.explorationpub.com/uploads/Article/A101154/101154.pdftwittermetaself-harmsuicidesocial media contentcontent analysistweet |
| spellingShingle | Elnaz Moghimi Kevin Keller Sanjeef Thampinathan William Cipolli Hayden P. Smith Analyzing tweets before and after Meta’s graphic self-harm imagery ban: a content analysis Exploration of Digital Health Technologies meta self-harm suicide social media content content analysis tweet |
| title | Analyzing tweets before and after Meta’s graphic self-harm imagery ban: a content analysis |
| title_full | Analyzing tweets before and after Meta’s graphic self-harm imagery ban: a content analysis |
| title_fullStr | Analyzing tweets before and after Meta’s graphic self-harm imagery ban: a content analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Analyzing tweets before and after Meta’s graphic self-harm imagery ban: a content analysis |
| title_short | Analyzing tweets before and after Meta’s graphic self-harm imagery ban: a content analysis |
| title_sort | analyzing tweets before and after meta s graphic self harm imagery ban a content analysis |
| topic | twitter meta self-harm suicide social media content content analysis tweet |
| url | https://www.explorationpub.com/uploads/Article/A101154/101154.pdf |
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