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Transcription
The transcription discusses the alarming rise in online abuse and its impact on mental health, particularly among young people. It shares stories of individuals who tragically took their own lives due to the influence of social media. Cyberbullying and exposure to pro-suicidal content are major concerns. The importance of making resources such as helplines more accessible is emphasized, as well as the need to educate and support individuals in recognizing and addressing mental health issues. While social media can be a useful tool, its addictive nature and negative effects on self-esteem and mental well-being must be acknowledged. Changes and resources are necessary to protect the well-being of children and future generations. Hey everyone it's Brooke. Hi guys it's Lily. Did you know that according to womensaid.org over 50 percent of people experienced online abuse in only the first year of the pandemic and over a quarter of people reported that their experiences with tech abuse either started or escalated since March of 2020. So basically the escalation in mental health issues in the last three years due to social media are too alarming to just neglect. CJ Dawley was a seemingly normal teen, only 14 years old when he first joined the world of social media. He enjoyed playing golf and according to his counselor could have a free ride to whatever college he chose. But throughout high school his mother reported a newfound addiction to social media. He would spend hours a day on his phone often staying up until at least 3 a.m texting friends and occasionally swapping nude photos. He quickly became obsessed with his body image which only led him deeper into his addiction. On February 4th 2015 CJ retreated from the family living room and texted his friend the words Godspeed and posted an update on his Facebook page saying who turned out the lights. CJ then proceeded to take his own life with a 22 caliber rifle still gripping his phone. According to his mother when they found him his phone was still on still in his hand with blood on it. She stated that he was so addicted to it that even his last moments of his life were about posting on social media. Donna Dawley his mother believes that social media was the main contributor to her son's death and continues to take action against addictive platforms to this day. Wow that's horrible I think that does really show though how much of an impact social media has on these young and impressionable people's lives like CJ because he's literally found with his phone still in his hand and it's a lot like a different suicide case I found where this young girl Molly Rose Russell in the UK was found dead because she actually saw suicidal content on Instagram the month before she was she killed herself. Her mom also advocates against heavy social media usage as a child. I think that suicidal or just violent content in general has become much more popular and because of this has been normalized in society but for these young minds it can shape their outlooks on life. In Molly's case I think that she was exposed to this type of content much too early and in response her brain was unable to fully comprehend the severity of her actions. Yeah these teenagers do not fully understand the dangers that they face being vulnerable to these pro-suicidal sites, message boards, chat rooms and forums daily. This online killing culture portrays suicide as an actual option which further draws teens into the addiction of social media. Cyberbullying is another prominent problem within media. Some people use social media as a security blanket that can ease their anxiety by letting them disregard face-to-face interaction but in reality this causes social anxiety which can lead to suicide in real life situations. Cyberbullying is an enormous issue in today's world. I think that nearly every single child, teen or young adult would report either receiving or witnessing cyberbullying at some point. Unfortunately it has become extremely common but can still have detrimental effects on young brains. Cyberbullying is a prominent reason for teen depression, anxiety and various other mental health issues. Cyberbullying also offers the risk that the boy's identity can stay hidden but even a single mean comment is cyberbullying. We also need to reassure people that social media is a false deceptive world with unrealistic standards that can easily be manipulated and easily silenced. In the death of Zahid Ali, a 13 year old boy who killed himself after he had followed someone who had posted a countdown to his own suicide on YouTube shows the danger of media's influence. Zahid was said to have locked himself in his room with his phone in the days before jumping off Tower Bridge. One witness even claimed that he saw a suicide note in the water in his school bag showing that he had planned and contemplated his death being shown specifically how to do it on social media. Social media can have a greater impact on young minds than anyone thinks. For Zahid, I think that he was influenced by other people's actions and took them to be a way out or escape. But suicide should not be glorified nor portrayed in the media. It's extremely harmful especially to teens and young adults. According to ABC News, Makenna Brown was a young girl, only a freshman in high school. She's a friend to everybody, incredibly outgoing, had a huge heart, very compassionate, and funny. She can make you laugh and not even try. Cheryl, Makenna's mother, said Makenna was an adorable little girl who grew into a beautiful teen. She was excelling academically, becoming a star goalie on a traveling hockey team, had a promising future to play in college, and so much more. But Cheryl knew something was wrong when that positive disposition abruptly changed during her freshman year. This after a compromising photo of Makenna began to circulate. She once attempted to take her own life but was unsuccessful. Makenna continued to struggle as the bullying progressed. Cheryl explained that the bullying was a five-day assault on her through social media, text, and Instagram. Essentially, they wanted to cancel her. It broke her. Then, before school, Makenna was found dead by suicide. It is easy to become overwhelmed by bullying, especially when it's online. Constant threats, assaults, or even just rude remarks make everyday life for teens much more challenging, doubting themselves and constantly worrying about the opinions of others. Oftentimes, teens are unable to see their own potential, in Makenna's case, a hockey career or at least a great college. She was blinded by others' opinions and in turn was unable to grow up and find what great woman she is bound to become. In order to prevent occurrences like this in the future, we need to make outlets such as the suicide hotline more accessible. By more accessible, I mean that more people should know and understand the ways in which they can be used. Much like cyberbullying, people like to use a screen to mask identity when seeking help. Sometimes, people don't reach out purely because of this issue, but text lines, chats, and anonymous help lines are all available and should be more widely recognized. People at a young age should not be exposed to the harmful effects of social media so early on in life. To link in the rise of social media to the rise of suicide rates and mental health issues needs to be displayed and dealt with starting at a young age. It is important to teach people to recognize the warning signs and mental health issues that suicidal people tend to display and to understand the feelings of a suicidal person. It's important to remember that you can simply talk to a person and it is okay to talk about suicide with another person when working to prevent it. We as a society need to provide resources such as counselors and therapists for children or adults dealing with specifically online issues. Although we do have exceptional therapists and other professionals, I agree and think we should implement help that deals solely with online issues because social media and cyberbullying are largely different in classic circumstances. We need to take cyberbullying and social media in general very seriously. A person suffering from cyberbullying is 1.9 times more likely to commit suicide. Suicide is the second most common cause of death within young adults between ages 10 and 24. Overall the content that teens consume and the way that they are viewed or criticized can encourage mental health issues. The overall use and addiction of social media usage can cause increased anxiety, loneliness, and depression which are all suicidal warning signs directly linked to the causes of suicide. Of course social media can be a useful tool to connect and chat with others online so the outright ban on social media would be also negatively impacting. Parents should work to limit social media time to a healthy standard for young people but they should also understand their own limitations as well so when they grow up to become the next generation they'll have a healthy relationship with social media. We should take the cases presented as a warning and a reminder that if you need help please reach out to someone. Your life is valuable and should not be taken over someone behind the screen. For younger and future generations changes must be made. In the last three years social media related suicides and attempts have risen greatly and will only continue to rise if we do not make changes soon. We need more resources for help, support, and guidance whether that be a therapist, a hotline, or another platform is crucial to the well-being of children in the future. We need to use social media as a tool and not as a weapon. Of course we should end cyber bullying but there is no guarantee that cyber bullying will end so we need to provide resources and do whatever we can to prevent its impact especially in those who are mentally and emotionally vulnerable online teens. We need to protect the usage of social media as a way to connect but we need to remind each other that we cannot disconnect from reality. Thank you for listening and remember if you or someone you know is considering suicide contact the 24-7 National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800-273-8255 or just dial 988. You can also go to the 988lifeline.org. Thank you.
