Facebook aims to help prevent suicides

Posted at 9:54 AM on December 13, 2011 by Jon Gordon (6 Comments)
Filed under: Tech

A new service launching today is designed to make it easier for people who express suicidal thoughts on Facebook to get help.

Users will be able to make instant connections with crisis counselors through Facebook chat.

"One of the big goals here is to get the person in distress into the right help as soon as possible," Fred Wolens, public policy manager at Facebook, told The Associated Press.

How the service works is if a friend spots a suicidal thought on someone's page, he can report it to Facebook by clicking a link next to the comment. Facebook then sends an email to the person who posted the suicidal comment encouraging them to call the hotline or click on a link to begin a confidential chat.

Facebook on its own doesn't troll the site for suicidal expressions, Wolens said. Logistically it would be far too difficult with so many users and so many comments that could be misinterpreted by a computer algorithm.

The AP story points to recent high-profile incidents of people posting suicidal thoughts on Facebook.

Last month, authorities in California said a man posted a suicide note on Facebook before he killed his wife and in-laws then himself.

In July, police in Pennsylvania said they believed they were able to help prevent a man's suicide after the man's friend in California alerted police about a distraught Facebook posting. Police met with the man, who was committed to a hospital.

What do you think -- can Facebook help?

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Comments (6)

on the one hand, it's easier to report people making suicidal comments, on the other hand, their Ad algorithm is suggesting the book "Noose tiers bible" and "Get your Winchester from Buddies guns, the last gun you'll ever buy."

Posted by jon | December 13, 2011 11:43 AM

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What's this? Facebook actually offering some kind of valuable service??

Posted by Tyler | December 13, 2011 12:34 PM

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I think that in light of the world's population crisis that people should stop viewing human life as "precious" and "miraculous." It's a chemistry project, at best.
If a person is so unhappy with life that they no longer want to live, who is anyone else to say that they can't. In fact, I believe it to be arrogant and a wierd sort of sadism to force someone to remain alive that doesn't want to be.
Who are these odd people that can't let another person be?

Posted by Jennie | December 14, 2011 8:37 AM

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Jennie -

I hope you're not serious. In the vast majority of cases, suicide is a permanent escape from a temporary problem.

Almost every suicide leaves loving survivors who suffer undeserved extreme emotional pain.

You're obviously a very intelligent, caring person. If you're considering suicide, the world would be a worse place without you.

Please get help.

Posted by Jim Shapiro | December 14, 2011 1:31 PM

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"What's this? Facebook actually offering some kind of valuable service??

Posted by Tyler | December 13, 2011 12:34 PM"

Tyler,
Consider this Facebook attempt of cleaning up after their own messes. This would be a case of the ones who pushed the victims over the cliff are the same faces that are running to their aid.

I think it is High Time Facebook faces being booked. That's Justice.

Posted by this is NOT lucy | December 15, 2011 9:59 AM

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This is not Lucy - Well said. And "I think it is High Time Facebook faces being booked."

Nice. :-)

Posted by Jim Shapiro | December 15, 2011 10:50 AM

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