Doctors in Hà Nội highlight how online content and social media usage are contributing to increased self-injury among vulnerable adolescents, urging early intervention and open communication over bans.
At a briefing in Hà Nội on 14 September, doctors from the Institute of Mental Health at Bạch Mai Hospital warned that social media can intensify mental distress in vulnerable teenagers and may contribute to self-injury. They pointed to the case of a 15-year-old student, identified as N.M.A., whose online habits, rising family strain and exposure to self-harm content were followed by repeated cutting and a decline in her mental health.
According to the doctors, the girl began with ordinary entertainment online but gradually drifted towards videos about sadness and loneliness, then to a feed increasingly shaped by negative material. Her screen time moved into the night, and after being mocked on an anonymous school confession page and arguing with her parents, she cut her forearm with a razor blade. She later described the pain as a release, saying: “Nỗi đau thể xác ngay lập tức làm em dễ chịu hơn, quên đi nỗi đau trong đầu. Giống như một van xả áp suất, nếu không rạch tay lúc đó, em cảm giác đầu mình sẽ nổ tung.”
The doctors said the teenager’s case is part of a wider pattern they are seeing among adolescents, in which self-harm can become a way to manage emotion, even though it does not mean the young person wants to die. They stressed that self-injury is distinct from suicide, but is still a serious warning sign. Research cited in the discussion supports that concern: a 2023 Australian study found that adolescents who spent more than two hours a day on social media had slightly higher depressive symptoms and poorer wellbeing, while a 2024 study found that exposure to self-harm content was linked with a greater likelihood of non-suicidal self-injury.
The broader policy debate mirrors those findings. The US Surgeon General has said social media can help young people connect, but also exposes them to harmful content and can be addictive, while the US Department of Health and Human Services has warned that heavy use, especially beyond three hours a day, is associated with higher risks of depression and anxiety. A 2021 review found the evidence is mixed overall, suggesting the effects depend on the child, the content and the context. In the Vietnamese case, doctors said the most effective response is not simply to ban phone use, but to keep communication open, watch for changes in sleep, mood and schoolwork, and seek specialist help early if a child begins to self-harm.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
