Spate of suicides blamed on social networking sites

24-01-2008, 12:12 PM

BBC NEWS | Wales | Web worries after suicide spate

Quote:

Social networking websites could be "romanticising" suicide, an MP claims after the deaths of seven young people from her area in the past year.
Last week Natasha Randall, 17, was found hanged at her home near Bridgend and a girl who is believed to know her self-harmed a day later.

South Wales Police are investigating if they had made contact on the internet, by e-mail or on a networking site.

Bridgend MP Madeleine Moon will raise internet use issues with police.

So here we have a case of technology having the finger pointed at once again over occurances that have happened for decades.

Similary, politicans and the media have been known to blame the use of violent computer games on mass shootings and un-provoked massacures around the world.

WHY ON EARTH are events like this being blamed on the use of modern technology? It really gets my back up.

Kona Palangi · 24-01-2008, 12:15 PM

Sounds like something might be in the Welsh water.

Pepper Jack · 24-01-2008, 02:11 PM

they always do that, they are too stupid to come up with real reasons so they blame everything else

music, games, movies...i wanna know what the **** happened to plain old crazy!!

if a guy plays gta and then kills people he obviously wasn't normal to begin with!

Andyz · 24-01-2008, 03:48 PM

man they think so many crap ideas!
i bet some people don't even believe them.

blu_yu_away · 24-01-2008, 05:20 PM

Here in the us
There's another article relating to the topic. My opinion, the web site is not to blame but instead the people. True, social networking sites may make it easier for something like this to occur, but it is ultimately the people's fault. When something like this happens people look for the nearest outlet to blame whether it is games, music, movies, internet, etc. In the example I provided many people have been attacking myspace over the event. Why should it be the fault of Myspace? What about the mother who was ****ed up enough to think this was a good idea?

Glock 19 · 24-01-2008, 05:41 PM

It just another thing to blame I remember parents sued Ozzy Osbourne for the cause of their sons suicide due to the fact he was listing to Ozzy's song shot in the dark. This happened in mid 80's Ozzy won the case. It just goes to show you maybe parents need to be a little more involved in their kids lives before drastic things do occur, instead of blaming outside media sources.

Blasterpez · 25-01-2008, 12:05 AM

well, you have to blame something besides a person for their own actions. i mean, who is responsible for anything they do? look at the prisons, they are full of people who aren't responsible for what they did.
so naturally, whatever is trendy to blame, that is fault of all evil and wickedness.

axeman2008 · 25-01-2008, 04:16 AM

This reminds of the time when some guy watched one of the Matrix films and then went out and killed a few people.

I think maybe parents need to keep a look out for what the kids are playing or watching they blame game and movie companies for the childs death or whatever yet they fail to see the restrictions put on them. If game of movie has 'ONLY SUITABLE FOR PERSONS OVER 18' and 'CONTAINS STRONG BLOOD AND VIOLENCE' then maybe parents should take responsibility and not let kids watch that film or game.

ElderScroller27 · 25-01-2008, 12:30 PM

2000 years ago they blamed evil spirits for suicides. 1000 years ago they would have blamed the Full Moon. 500 years ago they would blame the wrath of evil SATAN! but now they blame The internet.....

Why not just blame the Family for not noticing the warning signs of suicide, or blame the actual person for being of unsound mind and ending up killing themselves.

They need to perform a little shock treatment on every person who is thinking of suicide by having 2 strong guys in masks break into their room, beat the hell out of them with a bat, then actually put a noose around their neck and hang them, BUT just before they die kicking and choking they cut them down and let them live.... i bet you thee would be a 99% rehabilitation rate because once someone actually faces pain and death they wake the hell up and stop living the fantasy of romanticized suicide or whatever they are stuck on...

In the end it just comes down to a person with a messed up chemical balance in their brains.. someone who is messed up to begin with could run off and suicide if their pizza toppings are mistaken... or if their printer runs out of ink... ANYTHING can set off a crazy mind. is it the fault of the noose that the person died? should you blame the rope company for selling the rope without a warning label againt using it for suicide?

Jacksmith28 · 25-01-2008, 07:53 PM

It's ridiculous that people can blame it on technology. If a teenage girl wants to hang herself because a boy she likes who she NEVER met isn't real, there's obviously some other problems going on there that her Parents/Family should have taken care of before hand. The people who do it are sick don't get me wrong, but they can't be blamed for the suicide of a person they have never met. How cant someone you've never seen in person have that much influence?

Pepper Jack · 26-01-2008, 03:08 AM

in that particular case you should blame the piece of **** whore ***** who posed as the boy in the first place, what kinda of adult drives a 13 year old girl to suicide? if it was upto me i'd have that woman put in jail for life or even killed

ElderScroller27 · 26-01-2008, 04:25 PM

to Jacksmith:
the thing is that Fantasy is always better than reality... you can log onto the net and chat with someone and really only know them in the faintest way on the surface so your imagination fills in the gaps to provide all the features that your heart desires... when you are a confused teenager and you end up at a dead end facing the facts that you have imagining life in a crumbling false reality yet feeling it like reality thats a dangerous event.

And to Pepperjack:
I would not be surprise if a talanted District Attorney deciced to put up some manslaughter charged againsts the person who had the false identity that sparked the suicides, I doubt the charges would stick but they could be brought to trial. and DEFINATELY 100% the family of the suicides could bring a civil suit against the Person and they more than likely would win.

Glock 19 · 26-01-2008, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElderScroller27

to Jacksmith:
the thing is that Fantasy is always better than reality... you can log onto the net and chat with someone and really only know them in the faintest way on the surface so your imagination fills in the gaps to provide all the features that your heart desires... when you are a confused teenager and you end up at a dead end facing the facts that you have imagining life in a crumbling false reality yet feeling it like reality thats a dangerous event.

And to Pepperjack:
I would not be surprise if a talanted District Attorney deciced to put up some manslaughter charged againsts the person who had the false identity that sparked the suicides, I doubt the charges would stick but they could be brought to trial. and DEFINATELY 100% the family of the suicides could bring a civil suit against the Person and they more than likely would win.

Exactly I can see them winning civil law suit as 5th amendment does not apply in a civil trial and that woman would be raked over the coals, as she would have to answer questions and be cross examined. Would be very hard to get criminal conviction on her. And I doubt D.A. would even attempt the case, but never know as it is high profile case and gets there name out there.

Jacksmith28 · 26-01-2008, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElderScroller27

to Jacksmith:
the thing is that Fantasy is always better than reality... you can log onto the net and chat with someone and really only know them in the faintest way on the surface so your imagination fills in the gaps to provide all the features that your heart desires... when you are a confused teenager and you end up at a dead end facing the facts that you have imagining life in a crumbling false reality yet feeling it like reality thats a dangerous event.

This is true, and very sad. Good argument, that's all I can say.