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On the face of it, Facebook's suicide prevention plan seems like a
good idea, if not an ambitious idea. There are a couple of things that I
question, one of which is that its users can flag when they think a
friend may be considering suicide and click on "Report Post" and the
next time that person logs in, he will be told to contact the person who
is concerned about him, enlist the help of another friend, or put them
in contact with a suicide helpline.
Now, imagine yourself having a really bad month or two and under a lot of stress at home and at your job and thinking that you have a good friend with whom you usually share your ups and downs. Now, this friend reports your post as a possible suicide when all you wanted to do was confide in him or her as you've always done about what's going on in your life. You've always been able to vent about these things and here you are, having this friend report your post as a possible suicide.
If you are not suicidal, and most of the time a friend's rants are just a way of venting, not an indication of committing suicide, wouldn't you feel betrayed? And, more important, wouldn't you stop confiding in your friend for fear of him turning your confidential email over to a Facebook suicide prevention line?
Now, imagine yourself having a really bad month or two and under a lot of stress at home and at your job and thinking that you have a good friend with whom you usually share your ups and downs. Now, this friend reports your post as a possible suicide when all you wanted to do was confide in him or her as you've always done about what's going on in your life. You've always been able to vent about these things and here you are, having this friend report your post as a possible suicide.
If you are not suicidal, and most of the time a friend's rants are just a way of venting, not an indication of committing suicide, wouldn't you feel betrayed? And, more important, wouldn't you stop confiding in your friend for fear of him turning your confidential email over to a Facebook suicide prevention line?
