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Researchers at Oxford’s Department of Psychiatry found that two thirds of young people who encountered self-harm content saw it through algorithmic feed suggestions on social media, making this the most common route of exposure.
The findings come as the UK government has announced a ban on social media for under-16s next year, joining a growing international move to introduce online safety measures for children and young people.
The study, published in the journal Nature Mental Health and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration Oxford and Thames Valley, analysed data from more than 32,000 students aged 11–18 years who took part in the 2025 OxWell Student Survey in England.
Students were asked whether they had encountered self-harm content online during the previous month, how often they had seen it, and how they came across it.
Read the full story on the Department of Psychiatry website.