A little over a week ago, a “#cutforbieber” trend on Twitter encouraged fans to cut themselves in protest of the pop star’s alleged drug use. Although it was determined a hoax, its mere existence and the jokes resulting from it demand a serious re-evaluation of the way we think. Before this event and its resulting reactions fade from recall, I wanted to discuss two important things regarding the issue of self harm.

Self harm is not funny. This movement was started as a joke and ended with more jokes. I’ll give the creators the benefit of the doubt, that perhaps they have no personal connection to the issue of self harm, perhaps they are incapable of experiencing empathy, and perhaps they lack foresight of the implications of their actions. Regardless, no matter how often cutting or other forms of self harm are made fun of on the internet, it is a prevalent threat in our society, especially among adolescents, the target audience of this prank. Those who engage in self-harming behaviors are quite vulnerable in many senses, and encouraging such behaviors not only causes them more damage but also trivializes their mental and emotional struggles. Ultimately, self harm can lead to death. Presenting self harm in a humorous light is on the same level of deplorability as making fun of starvation victims or abused children. There’s simply nothing funny about the pain self harm causes its victims and their loved ones and the psychological issues (i.e. depression) that often come hand in hand with it.

Self harm is dangerous and should not be glorified. Many different people actually did believe in the reality of this movement, at least for a time. The thought of it being real is just as sick as it being a joke. In pop culture, it may be romanticized in certain TV shows, movies, or music, without touching on the harshness of associated mental and emotional problems. It might be portrayed as a tool for making a statement, but self harm is unhealthy in more than one way and potentially lethal. Quite often, people forget that death is a serious possibility. In my opinion, self harm is something our society ought to be fighting as much as teen drug use or drinking. No matter who the individual or the type of self harm they perform, there is something at the root of it for each person that needs to be solved that they cannot solve it on their own. More than anything, people who self harm need our love, attention and help. For those struggling with self harm or those with loved ones struggling, it is important to talk to a trusted person and seek professional treatment immediately. No one deserves to suffer so much that they feel they need to hurt themselves.