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Cited by 30Suicide and Self-Harm StudiesImpact of Technology on AdolescentsSocial Media in Health Education

Temporal and Geographic Patterns of Social Media Posts About an Emerging Suicide Game

Open access
Sumner, Steven A., Galik, Stacey, Mathieu, Jennifer, Ward, Megan, Kiley, Thomas, Bartholow, Brad, Dingwall, Alison, Mork, Peter·2019·Journal of Adolescent Health
DOI 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.12.025PMC PMC7164676
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Abstract

Purpose Rates of suicide are increasing rapidly among youth. Social media messages and online games promoting suicide are a concern for parents and clinicians. We examined the timing and location of social media posts about one alleged youth suicide game to better understand the degree to which social media data can provide earlier public health awareness. Methods We conducted a search of all public social media posts and news articles on the Blue Whale Challenge (BWC), an alleged suicide game, from January 1, 2013, through June 30, 2017. Data were retrieved through multiple keyword search; sources included social media platforms Twitter, YouTube, Reddit, Tumblr, as well as blogs, forums, and news articles. Posts were classified into three categories: individual "pro"-BWC posts (support for game), individual "anti"-BWC posts (opposition to game), and media reports. Timing and location of posts were assessed. Results Overall, 95,555 social media posts and articles about the BWC were collected. In total, over one-quarter (28.3%) were "pro"-BWC. The first U.S. news article related to the BWC was published approximately 4 months after the first English language U.S. social media post about the BWC and 9 months after the first U.S. social media post in any language. By the close of the study period, "pro"-BWC posts had spread to 127 countries. Conclusions Novel online risks to mental health, such as prosuicide games or messages, can spread rapidly and globally. Better understanding social media and Web data may allow for detection of such threats earlier than is currently possible.

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  • A study mapped the spread of social media posts about the Blue Whale Challenge, an alleged game promoting suicide, over Twitter, YouTube, Reddit, Tumblr and other forums across 127 countries.

    “Another study was able to map the spread of social media posts about the Blue Whale Challenge, an alleged game promoting suicide, over Twitter, YouTube, Reddit, Tumblr and other forums across 127 countries (Sumner et al., 2019)”

    From Social Media and Mental Health: Benefits, Risks, and Opportunities for Research and Practice (2020) · cites this paper as Sumner et al., 2019

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Cited by

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Authors
Sumner, S. A., Galik, S., Mathieu, J., Ward, M., Kiley, T., Bartholow, B., Dingwall, A., & Mork, P.
Affiliations
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US)
  • Mitre (United States) (US)
Corresponding author
Sumner, Steven A.
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Adolescent Health
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2019-07
Volume
65
Issue
1
Pages
94-100
ISSN
1054-139X (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.12.025
PMC
PMC7164676
OpenAlex
W2915918523
Cited by
30
References
8
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 2
FWCI
5.84
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Journal of Adolescent Health (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
  • Social Sciences › Health › Social Media in Health Education
Keywords
Blue Whale Challenge, youth suicide, social media posts, online suicide prevention, disease surveillance, Twitter, YouTube
MeSH terms
Games, Recreational, Adolescent, Humans, Suicide, Self-Injurious Behavior, Social Media

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