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Don't brush off talk of suicide on social media: SOS
Safer to take it that user is not really seeking attention but in need for help, say Samaritans
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Since 2016, at-risk users of Instagram have been directed to local community helplines when they search for hashtags of keywords such as "suicide", "self harm" or "depression".
ST PHOTO: ROSALIND ANG
Vanessa Liu, Rosalind Ang
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While suicidal thoughts expressed on social media might be brushed off as an attempt to seek attention, they could signal a real need for support, said the Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) in response to the recent controversy surrounding photo-sharing app Instagram.
The social-media platform with approximately one billion monthly active users hit the headlines for the wrong reasons earlier this week when a teenage girl in Malaysia reportedly jumped off a building after she polled her followers on the app if she should live or die. The majority - 69 per cent - had voted for "death".
