For this reason, there are a variety of sources that are accessible to the public in various forms, especially social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok and many more.
[10] Bullying, whether on social media or elsewhere, physical or not, significantly increases victims' risk of suicidal behavior.
[13][14] Furthermore, suicide rates among teenagers have increased from 2010 to 2022 as social media has become something that people interact with more throughout their day-to-day lives.
This is why, social media could provide higher risks with the promotion of different kinds of pro-suicidal sites, message boards, chat rooms, and forums.
Therefore, the role the Internet plays, particularly social media, in suicide-related behavior is a topic of growing interest.
A research study conducted by Sameer Hinduja and Justin Patchin found a correlation between cyberbullying and suicide.
[19] Particularly alarming is the fact that children and young people under 25 who are victims of cyberbullying are more than twice as likely to self-harm and engage in suicidal behavior.
As a response, anti-bullying regulations implemented by schools aim to prevent any form of bullying, including through technology, and protect students from online harassment.
[30][31] Social media platforms have transformed traditional methods of communication by allowing instantaneous and interactive sharing of information created and controlled by individuals, groups, organizations, and governments.
Contributors to these social media platforms may also exert peer pressure[33] and encourage others to take their own lives, idolize those who have killed themselves, and facilitate suicide pacts.
[37] Although the public opinion is that message boards are harmful, the following studies show how they point to suicide prevention and have positive influences.
An example of how social media can play a role in suicide is that of a male adolescent who arrived at the emergency department with his parents after suspected medication ingestion in which he attempted to overdose.
This picture was used by medical experts to establish the time of his ingestion; oral N-acetylcysteine was administered and he was brought to a pediatric care facility, where he had a stable recovery and psychiatric evaluation.
[50] In 2014, Conrad Roy killed himself after exchanging numerous text messages with Michelle Carter, his long-distance girlfriend, who repeatedly encouraged him to commit suicide.
[51] Sadie Riggs, a Pennsylvania teen, killed herself in 2015 allegedly because of online bullying and harassment at school on her appearance.
Chien, an animal lover, was charged with euthanizing stray pets as a result of overcrowding in Taiwan's shelters.
After appearing on the program, she was branded as an "executioner" and "female butcher", and she and the shelter she operated were subject to intense cyberbullying and abuse.
[53] In a 2018 Florida case, two preteens were arrested and charged with cyberstalking after they were accused of cyberbullying another female middle school student, 12 year old Gabriella Green.
Her death was ruled a suicide, which Fraser's family attributed to "childhood traumas, racism, and persistent cyberbullying.
"[55] Austrian doctor Lisa-Maria Kellermayr committed suicide in 2022 after a tweet she made criticizing opponents to Covid measures caused her to become a target of death threats, intimidation and abuse.
[59] A recent study by Dunlop et al.[60] specifically examined possible contagion effects on suicidal behavior via the Internet and social media.
[61] One South Korean study demonstrated that social media data can be used to predict national suicide numbers.
The middle school contacted the parents and informed them to look into their children's social media pages and talk with them about the dangers of a group like this.
The algorithm reportedly tracks buzzwords and phrases associated with suicide and an alert is sent to Facebook's Safety Center.
A person at Facebook would have to do that..." The Defense Centers of Excellence have expressed interest in using social media for suicide prevention.