The Internet and its Super Powers of Death...

[moonlettuce]

So, I come in from work and what's on the TV is the local news, and they're showing an interview with a woman who blames the Internet for her daughter committing suicide. Excuse me? Yes, that's right. She blames the 'net for her daughter killing herself because she visited suicide forums before she hung herself. I'm sorry, but no. The Internet did not make this girl do anything. Did the Internet drag her into a forest, throw a rope around her neck and force her to hang herself? No, it didn't.

Yes, there are sites online which detail the easiest ways in which to kill yourself. However, reading these sites does not make you instantly go and commit suicide. There are also sites on how to build nuclear weapons and self-castration. It doesn't mean there are six million eunuchs with atomic bombs strapped to their chests running around out there. Say it with me, boys and girls: *Reading about something does not make you do it.* There has to be something there first.

So, anyway, this mother wants tighter controls on the Internet. (And, yeah, good luck with that one, I don't think.) Er, no. The Internet is a wondrous place, full of fun and facts and interesting tidbits. It's also the home of tubgirl and zombie goat bukkake. There are corners of it that are dark, nasty and downright disturbing. And that's just the My Little Pony sites.

If someone wants to kill themselves (and I'm talking seriously wants to kill themselves as opposed to the emo "I'll dress in black and write bad poetry because omg life is soooooooo bad" crowd) then they will find a way. Taking away the handy-dandy help page from them doesn't stop the innate knowledge that sticking a knife in your wrist and slicing upwards is not a thing which is conducive to keeping the blood inside of you.

Censorship on the 'net won't stop people from killing themselves. How do I know that? Because suicide has been around a hell of a lot longer than the 'net has.

There are always going to be places online which people believe shouldn't be there. For some people, that's going to be the 'How to kill yourself in three easy steps' pages. For others, it'll be the porn. For me, it's the Mulder/Krycek MPreg Domestic Discipline sites. *shudders*

Is it a tragedy that a 17 year old girl felt that there was something so wrong with her life that she believed the only way to make it better was to kill herself? Yes. But to blame the Internet for that is like blaming the rose bush in your garden for your house burning down. Just because it's there, doesn't mean it made it happen.

Comments

[janedavitt.livejournal.com]

to blame the Internet for that is like blaming the rose bush in your garden for you house burning down. Just because it's there, doesn't mean it made it happen.

Well put, and yes to all of the above.

[moonlettuce.livejournal.com]

I think what got me was the entire think just seemed like a case of needing to blame something to stop her from wondering exactly why her child thought the only way out was killing herself.

[zoerayne]

I blame the internet for my lack of a life. I do.

I also blame DH and JF, Brad Wright, Peter DeLuise, the Sci-Fi channel, and all the good writers in SGA fandom. *g*

[moonlettuce.livejournal.com]

I blame the internet for my lack of a life.

*grin* It's entirely the fault of the pretty that is DH and JF ;-)

[spikeface.livejournal.com]

This was a hysterical post, considering the subject. There are a couple of things where I find the Internet is actually an enabler (did you hear about those 'How to be an anorexic' sites? Creepy.) but suicide is definitely not one of them.

[moonlettuce.livejournal.com]

I find that it can help you, but it certainly can't make you. And yes, those anorexia sites are rather 'wtf?!'

[seiyaharris.livejournal.com]

I was ranting about this to mum, it didn't help it came right after seeing someone from 'mothers Against Guns' on the BBC London news complaining about the media glamourising guns, ranting on about how a 12 year old with a gun is a dangerous thing and TV and films make these 12 year olds think using/having a gun is a fun cool thing. I just wanted to reach into the TV and shake her and say 'how the hell did the 12 year old get the gun?!' Makes me think of the South Park movies song 'Blame Canada (before someone thinks of blaming us)' *g*

So um, I think my point was yes. To what you said. And also, what other people said about actually, the internet being an enabler, but also, it only enables those that want to be enabled ;)

[moonlettuce.livejournal.com]

Makes me think of the South Park movies song 'Blame Canada (before someone thinks of blaming us)' *g*

Exactly. It seems awfully like a 'Must find someone to blame, so I don't need to look too close to home for a reason...'

[seiyaharris.livejournal.com]

Indeed, and you can blame who or what you like, for as long as you like, but in the end, it will always be about the way they were raised the way they live and not what TV they watch.