Commentary
The kids of America are not OK. Although the mental health crisis plaguing younger generations is very much
global in nature, it’s particularly bad in the United States. Suicide is the now
second-leading cause of death among Americans between the ages of 15 and 24. Close to 20 percent of high school students have seriously contemplated suicide, while 9 percent have attempted to take their own lives, according to the
National Alliance on Mental Illness.
According to a
recent study carried out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three high school girls in the United States has seriously considered attempting suicide, while 14 percent of high school boys have seriously entertained the idea. In the United States, on average, young girls
spend considerably more time on social media than young boys. The
link between increased social media use and suicide is well established. Increased social media use is linked with higher levels of body dissatisfaction, depression, and anxiety.
To compound matters, social media platforms contribute to a phenomenon known as suicide contagion. In short, exposure to an act of suicide within a community (be it a physical or virtual one) increases the likelihood of more suicides occurring. Of course, the idea of suicide contagion is nothing new. In the 18th century, the German novelist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wrote “The Sorrows of Young Werther,” the story of a young man named Werther who falls madly in love with a woman named Charlotte. However, after Charlotte marries another man, Werther finds himself tortured by despair. A life without Charlotte, he thinks, is unthinkable, entirely unlivable. A heartbroken Werther loads a pistol, and takes his own life
Werther’s story of rejection clearly resonated with male readers across Europe. After reading the novel, many young men, rejected by women they loved, also loaded pistols and took their own lives. Fast forward 250 years, and suicide contagion is now a global phenomenon. That’s because the internet’s reach, very much global in nature, transcends geographical boundaries. Today, everything is local, or so it seems. Moreover, with social media, users are continuously hit with an inordinate amount of stories that are designed to stir up extreme emotions.
Earlier this year, psychiatrists at the University of Minnesota and Washington University
published a paper documenting the ways in which social media amplifies and glorifies suicide, creating a type of widespread contagion.
According to the authors, the cycle often starts with journalists, many of whom break “important rules” by elaborately outlining the chosen method of suicide. Many journalists also make the mistake of discussing the content of suicide notes left behind. After the journalists have shared their thoughts, social media platforms, which excel in the promotion of
emotionally charged content, further amplify the problem. While news outlets may choose to share stories with controversial images and “triggering language,” note the authors, individual social media users tend to amplify these stories through “shock, grief, and condolences via comments and posts of their own.” The virality creates a powerful cascade effect.
Deaths from suicide are complicated, messy affairs, rarely ever caused by one specific issue. Although those living with a mental illness are at a heightened risk of committing suicide, those who have
never experienced a diagnosable mental illness can also harbor suicidal thoughts and impulses. The mind is incredibly fragile, and social media platforms exploit this fact.
What can be done to protect the children of America? The Texas House recently approved
HB 18, a bill that requires social media platforms to obtain parental consent before entering into an agreement with a minor to create a social media account. Of course, some readers will bristle at the idea of government officials weighing in on family affairs. However, if we’re being completely honest, this is no longer a family affair; this is a nationwide crisis of epic proportions. Social media platforms have too much power, and this power is having a destructive effect. The likes of TikTok and Instagram have an incredibly powerful hold over the minds—and dare I say, the souls—of Americans, particularly younger Americans. To correct things, elected officials must take action. Time is of the essence.
If you find yourself contemplating suicide, please reach out to someone for support—a trusted friend, a family member, a teacher, a neighbor, a work colleague. Someone, anyone. Things are rarely, if ever, as bad as they seem.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
