Teens using mobiles for self-harming competitions

[Reality Orlando]

Wow, this is so sad! The story is from the UK, but wonder if this is happening in the U. S. as well? What is going on with kids who feel the need to do these things to themselves? How sad not only for the kids who are harming themselves but also for those who are exposed to it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9835457/Teens-using-mobiles-for-self-harming-competitions.html

 

[buffetoflies]

It is moo that teens who self harm simply do not have the coping skills to deal with their feelings so they take the 'easy way out' and cut/burn/harm themselfs physically.

 

[TrackerSam]

It is moo that teens who self harm simply do not have the coping skills to deal with their feelings so they take the 'easy way out' and cut/burn/harm themselfs physically.

That's only part of it. The smart phone (what a misnomer) is part of it. When my kids were little and throwing tantrums, my wife and I would either move them to another room or moved ourselves. See, when there's no audience - there's no show. They don't have a right to those phones, just shut 'em down.

 

[Reality Orlando]

I'm just baffled at what's going on. I work with about 1,200 middle school kids a year for 12 years. We never saw anything like what's happening today. Even kids who had problems with other kids had their own social circles for support. If they were too scared/anxious/shy to come to us with problems, one of the circle would report the problems. We had kids that were overweight, gay, goth...all had lots of friends are many were the "popular" kids on campus often moving within their own social circles but also between the others. When problems did arise we stepped in and followed up with kids and parents and made sure the solutions were working.

Where is the breakdown? School? Home? I'm all for kids that age not having a smart phone or access to Facebook and Twitter. But, that still doesn't address the problem as most kids do have access. Just so sad. So many kids no longer have fun, happy childhoods.

 

[not_my_kids]

It is moo that teens who self harm simply do not have the coping skills to deal with their feelings so they take the 'easy way out' and cut/burn/harm themselfs physically.

That's part of it. I used to cut myself, all through the teenage years. It was a lack of coping skills that led to it, because there was just too much on the inside to deal with, and no way that I was aware of to externalize all the negative emotion. If I cut myself, it put the negative emotion into something symbolic and physical and I could just put a band-aid on it (Or a roll of gauze and a couple butterfly stitches, depending on how much control I exercised) and move on. Sadly, it did help at the time. It probably did keep me from killing myself, several times.

However, I cannot imagine competing with anyone to see who was able to do the most harm. It was a very private thing and it was shameful to me, and I lived in fear daily that someone would discover that I was so abnormal that this was how I dealt with things.

 

[montana_16]

Maybe it's because I was a kid in the fifties and we could be kids then, that all this stuff now is just making me so sad for kids. We were able to go outside all day and be free and have so much fun.

And I was a poor kid living in a wealthy area and looked down upon and never had a bike or anything much, but we made our own fun by climbing trees and playing in the creek and jumping rope and skating all over the place, and picking fresh fruit and nuts off trees etc. etc. We had our little bag lunch and walked the several blocks to school, many times alone. We didn't feel unsafe at all. And I did not live in the country,but Suburb of S. F.

Kids don't have that anymore. I had a way less than ideal childhood, but we were able to go outside and physically run around and go to the movies by ourselves and didn't have to be hovered over and we weren't encumbered with all these tech devises and it helped us to get along okay in this world.

That time is gone forever. I wish kids could just be kids now, but they can't. Some say it wasn't really better then, but it was. Not near as much violence, drugs almost nil, tv, magazines movies, decent for kids.

I' sorry for going on and on ,but I feel so bad that kids have such a hard to deal with world now and it is like they are pressured from every angle and can't just be carefree kids anymore

 

[ebonydarkness]

Wasn't this some silly 4chan hoax?

I believe in a non-judgmental approach towards self harm. Although I don't understand those who use it to seek attention, it is usually a cry for help for deeper issues.