Instagram to hide self-harm images in the wake of rising teen suicides

“When there are children and adolescents who are having thoughts of self-harm and suicide, we do know there can be a contagion effect,” Dr. Joanna Stern, a program director at the Child Mind Institute, told NBC News.

Stern said it isn’t likely that children and adolescents who aren’t thinking about self-harm will be compelled to hurt themselves if exposed to the self-harm content on social media, but it is a risk for young people who are already thinking about it.