Suicide is influenced by social and environmental factors, besides the person’s own psychosis, which makes up 1.4% of all deaths worldwide. Several distinct life experiences, ideas, and feelings can combine to generate suicidal ideation, which frequently lacks a single underlying reason.
The prevalence of suicide among teenagers and adolescents has become a major cause of concern in recent years. With the rise of social media, impactful changes have been seen in the way people connect with each other and how they perceive themselves. Studies suggest there is a strong association between social media use and suicidal tendencies among this vulnerable group.
Social media sites can create feelings of disconnection when used unhealthily or excessively, as it is difficult to distinguish between real-life relationships and those online. The side effects brought about by feeling disconnected are loneliness, hopelessness, isolation, and low self-esteem, which can lead to anxiety, depression or worse still – suicide ideation or attempts.
According to a study, children begin to experience more mental health issues at the 2-hour point. Teenagers who used social networking sites for over two hours per day were substantially more likely to report negative mental health outcomes, such as distress and suicidal thinking. The results of a study conducted the following year revealed problematic internet use was linked to poor mental health outcomes over time and that these effects were mediated by insufficient sleep.
Another study revealed a connection between teen social media use and risk-taking, poor body image, and low self-esteem. Among teenagers, social comparison and cyberbullying have been linked to despair, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Many teenagers do not realize that their dependence on social networking sites is often leading them into deeper levels of distress because of feeling isolated from their peers without access to meaningful connections with others outside digital spaces – whether because of physical limitations such as geography or fearfulness caused by low self-confidence encoded through an absence of interpersonal skills needed for true human connection like conversation starters, etc.
At its most extreme end these feelings take on new forms such as cyberbullying where people perpetrate hurtful comments towards one another via anonymous accounts which only further isolates those who are already struggling with issues surrounding mental health concerns even before being targeted online in this way., creating an even more severe correlation between prolonged usage (or addiction) of online forums/channels combined with higher levels suicidal thinking amongst teenage groups than ever before observed globally. Another instance of how exposure to behaviours associated with suicide might spread is suicidal contagion. When one is exposed to information about real suicide occurrences within one’s immediate group, there is a potential rise in suicide or suicide-related behaviours. Social media is frequently used to spread this kind of information, and it may do it quickly.
More so now than ever before, awareness campaigns and initiatives should be put into place at schools around the world, promoting healthy usage guidelines for young adults & adolescents. This includes prevention and protective strategies for individuals, families, and communities. Everyone can help prevent suicide by learning the warning signs, promoting prevention and resilience, and a committing to social change. This might dissuade users from taking part in any sort of forms of harmful behaviour (including but not limited to cyberbullying) which often exasperates stressors associated with anxiety disorders commonly found across all age groups but especially prevalent within adolescent population demographics worldwide.
Social media’s characteristics of connectedness, collaboration and community protocols have the potential to ensure healthier ways of connecting digitally. Providing support systems both offline & online could play integral roles in helping prevent further cases of suicides related to internet addiction while concurrently encouraging positive behaviours instead, paired with wider outreach programs in the future that integrate educating teens about why responsible digital practices are important when navigating semi-public digital landscapes created via various types internet channels i.e., Social Media Sites and applications.
There is a need for educational resources aimed at preventing overexposure to certain aspects found in some forms of social media platforms so users learn how best to protect themselves emotionally against negative potentialities associated with heavy usage patterns found amongst certain demographic groups during formative developmental stages. By doing so, we may begin reducing occurrences related to rising numbers of suicidality seen amongst younger generations today, thus ensuring future populations (especially youth) remain better informed about potential risks linked to extended periods online relating whilst simultaneously learning how to build constructive habits underpinned values centred around positivity plus growth alongside cultivating qualities founded upon nurturing healthy relationships formed both inside virtual realms outside thereof!
