Citation

Tan WK, Chiang MH. Comput. Hum. Behav. 2022; 131.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.chb.2022.107209

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Digital self-harm is becoming increasingly evident, and new technology fosters and encourages it. More worryingly, it has been associated with suicide; people engaging in digital self-harm often engage in offline self-harm. This study employed the stimulus-organism-response theoretical framework to examine how individuals reading a digital self-harm message perceived its probable underlying motivation, its credibility, the extent of readers' sympathy, empathy, and sense of injustice regarding its author, and their intention to support the author. To illuminate the nature of such messages, this study compared readers' reactions upon reading them with those of readers reading a retaliatory message. A partial least squares analysis of 241 survey returns (124 self-harm and 117 retaliatory message questionnaire returns) revealed that, while readers often viewed self-harm message authors as seeking external emotional support, they were less likely to view the authors as entertaining others. Readers' views regarding such messages' credibility is crucial, as it increases their sympathy, empathy, and sense of injustice toward the author. Empathy is more important than sympathy in provoking readers' support toward authors. Thus, steps must be taken to foster more public empathy toward digital self-harm message authors, and the public must be educated about such messages' credibility. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd

Language: en

Keywords

Surveys; Social networking (online); Social media; Least squares approximations; Digital self-harm; Offline; Online empathy; Online sympathy; Partial least square analysis; Self-harm message credibility; Stimulus-organism-response framework; Support intention; Theoretical framework