Sometimes we’re forced to fake a smile, but what happens when you fake it every day?
According to the American Association of Suicidology, suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth ages 15 to 24. Shockingly, more Americans die each year by suicide than car accidents. For such a large suicide rate among people so young, one question arises as the statistics continue to rise: why do these kids feel the need to turn to death?
With modern technology we have access to almost anything, and that includes art, blogs, and websites that speak to us as individuals. When people have depression, especially adolescents, they often feel they have no one to turn to. Depression can incite feelings of loneliness and the idea that no one understands. But that all changes when you have an online community of teens who feel the same.
Social media has become an outlet and safe haven for those experiencing suicidal thoughts. The problem is, when you have a large community of suicidal teens, it is more often than not that instead of offering support and love, they indirectly cause encouragement. Pictures can be found all over websites like Tumblr and Instagram romanticizing the idea of death, and even turning it into artwork and quotes.
The idea of death as a pretty thing is a scary ideal to hold, especially among adolescents who haven’t experienced enough of it to understand its impact. Some teens are looking at suicide as a way to deal with their problems. Whether it’s self-esteem issues, home problems, or bullying at school, our society teaches that death is a pretty way to escape all of life’s grievances. Quotes like “They’ll miss me when I’m gone” and “No one really cares until something dramatic happens” only further the idea that suicide results in reward, and someone in an irrational state of mind might just take the bait.
So what do we do when kids log online and see nothing but death as a cop out? How do we teach people to continue surviving in a culture that idolizes people like Kurt Cobain, who took their own lives? How do you convey the idea that death isn’t a beautiful thing?
As stated earlier, people with depression often feel incredibly alone. While our society indiscreetly encourages the notion of suicide, the idea as a whole is very “hush, hush.” Mental health is something that is often ridiculed and made hard to access. So if young adults are too scared to reach out, then where else are they supposed to go?
The bottom line is we need to be more open about the symptoms of suicide and depression, and make it so that people aren’t afraid to ask for help instead of doing it anonymously on the web. If someone breaks a bone, they go to the hospital, but if someone is feeling severely depressed, they often have to keep it bottled up inside. With nowhere else to run, they will go to the wrong places. It’s time to create a place where people in need can openly accept mental health treatment. Their lives depend on it.
