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“How deep do I have to cut?“: Non-suicidal self-injury and imagined communities of practice on Tumblr

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  • Guccini, Federica
  • McKinley, Gerald

Abstract

This paper concerns itself with the study of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) content on Tumblr. Adding to existing valuable studies on social media and NSSI, we contribute an anthropological understanding of the communal formations and relationships between people who use social media to express their thoughts and feelings about NSSI. Using online ethnography as a method, we approach our data from the perspective of someone who is new to NSSI Tumblr and is learning how to engage with other people who self-injure sharing content on the site. We argue that people who share and interact with NSSI content on Tumblr form part of imagined communities of practice, through which they create shared meaning and interpretations of their experiences. Our results suggest that Tumbleloggers who engage with NSSI content draw on a variety of communal practices and norms to create a non-judgmental space away from societal stigma. As such, future research can benefit from an approach centered around communal practices to understand how people who self-injure connect and communicate on social media.

Suggested Citation

  • Guccini, Federica & McKinley, Gerald, 2022. "“How deep do I have to cut?“: Non-suicidal self-injury and imagined communities of practice on Tumblr," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 296(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:296:y:2022:i:c:s0277953622000636
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114760
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Charlotte Emma Hilton, 2017. "Unveiling self‐harm behaviour: what can social media site Twitter tell us about self‐harm? A qualitative exploration," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(11-12), pages 1690-1704, June.
    2. Kath Hennell & Mark Limmer & Maria Piacentini, 2020. "Ethical Dilemmas Using Social Media in Qualitative Social Research: A Case Study of Online Participant Observation," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 25(3), pages 473-489, September.
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