Last year, a new study was conducted by the Centers for Diseases Control which expressed that the number of teen girls who intentionally hurt themselves or adopt different self-harm strategies has tripled since 2009. It is believed by some experts that the reason behind teen girls self-harming themselves could be attributed to facing a lot of financial pressures in their lives or to the rampant use of digital devices.

Self-Harm on the Rise Among Teen Girls

A lot of teenagers, both girls, and boys, cause self-inflicted injuries to themselves. Around 43,000 cases of self-harm took place between 2001 and 2015, a recent study has suggested. Girls and boys between the age bracket of 10 and 24 were treated in emergency rooms due to self-harm. Among the victims, teen girls are found to be more inclined towards causing harm to themselves. Parents, teachers, and even pediatricians should be worried about the imminent rise in the number of self-harm incidents as they are the major indicators of suicide.

The Reasons Behind the Self-Harm Incidents

Most of the researchers are still not sure why the number of self-harm injuries among teen girls has increased in the past few years. However, as far as the mental health experts are concerned, they suggest that the rise may be due to the drug abuse, cyberbullying, or poor economic conditions at home.

Teen girls, who face financial pressures at home, are not able to meet their demands, and hence they opt for self-harm. Some researchers believe that the increase in self-inflicted injuries and suicide attempts among teen girls could also be because they use digital devices to a great extent.

Since digital devices – computers, laptops, mobile phones, tablets, etc. – have arrived in the technology industry, almost every other teenager owns his/her own digital device and have become dependent on it.

The Contribution of Digital Devices

Teen girls who spend five or more hours every day on the internet are most likely to develop depression or suicidal symptoms than those who only spent an hour online every day.

Excessive use of the internet, as well as digital devices, may cause them to become depressed, lonely, and even aggressive. When teens are spending a lot of time on the internet they may face a plethora of problems. Lack of sleep, less social interaction with their friends, excessive screen time, or a combination of all three can make them isolated from the rest of the world. As a result, they feel depressed and look out for ways to harm themselves.

The recent studies suggest parents, families, schools, and healthcare provisions to enhance safety among these distressed young girls in the short term and also help secure their future mental health as well as well-being. If these young girls are not treated at the right time, they may opt for suicide. Parents can seek help from parental control software by installing the apps on their child’s device in order to keep an eye on his/her online activity. This way parents can prevent their children from various online threats.