The Forensic Mental Health Implications of Social Media Challenges

Emily M Asher; Nathaniel P Morris; Dale E McNiel; Renée L Binder

doi:10.29158/JAAPL.230114-23

The Forensic Mental Health Implications of Social Media Challenges

J Am Acad Psychiatry Law. 2024 Mar 11;52(1):80-89. doi: 10.29158/JAAPL.230114-23.

Authors

Emily M Asher¹, Nathaniel P Morris², Dale E McNiel², Renée L Binder²

Affiliations

¹ Dr. Asher is a child, adolescent, adult, and forensic psychiatrist in private practice, Oakland, CA and Assistant Clinical Professor, University of California, San Francisco, CA. Dr. Morris is Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Dr. McNiel is Professor Emeritus of Clinical Psychology Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Dr. Binder is Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Psychiatry and the Law Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA. emily.asher@ucsf.edu.
² Dr. Asher is a child, adolescent, adult, and forensic psychiatrist in private practice, Oakland, CA and Assistant Clinical Professor, University of California, San Francisco, CA. Dr. Morris is Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Dr. McNiel is Professor Emeritus of Clinical Psychology Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Dr. Binder is Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Psychiatry and the Law Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA.

PMID: 38467439
DOI: 10.29158/JAAPL.230114-23

Abstract

Children and adults are increasingly spending time on social networking sites where they may be exposed to social media challenges. These challenges, which are essentially dares or competitions, often involve participants recording themselves performing various activities to create a short video which they then share online. Many social media challenges may be considered relatively benign, but others may involve behaviors or tasks that lead to adverse outcomes, including injury and death. In this article, the authors describe different types of social media challenges, susceptibility to risk-taking among social media users, and the potential criminal and civil legal aspects of these challenges. This article focuses on the forensic mental health implications of social media challenges, including considerations for forensic psychiatrists and other mental health professionals who may become involved in court cases related to these challenges.

Keywords: adolescent; child; expert witness; juvenile justice; social media challenge; technology.

MeSH terms

Child
Expert Testimony
Forensic Psychiatry
Humans
Mental Health
Psychiatry*
Social Media*