- Every year there are 703,000 cases of suicide in the world and thousands more people attempt it.
- Currently, it is estimated that 3.4 billion people use social networks on a daily basis.
- Twitter re-enabled the algorithm known as #ThereIsHelp which through recent searches offers support to people at risk to promote suicide prevention.
Social networks appeared to revolutionize the way people interact. Now it is possible to keep in touch without the need to be in the same physical space because everything can be done remotely. Within the current options Twitter is one of the most popular and in recent days it has been surrounded by controversy over the possible disappearance of its suicide prevention function.
Social networks around the world
To get an idea of the relevance of this form of communication, all you have to do is analyze the number of people it impacts. In accordance with The Global State of Digital it is estimated that 3.4 billion people use social networks on a daily basis. The figure represents about 45 percent of the world’s population.
For his part, Digitization registered an even greater increase after the health emergency. One of the immediate consequences of remaining in confinement was having to resort to social networks to find out what was happening abroad.
In this vein, one of the most popular options in the world is Twitter. According to Statista it has at least 436 million users worldwide. Although a few months ago it underwent a controversial change because it was acquired by the tycoon Elon Musk. He immediately made changes that have been criticized.
Among the Twitter modifications is a suicide prevention function to offer help to people at risk. Although according to Reuters, After a few weeks of inactivity, the social network backed down and this modality returned.
How does Twitter suicide prevention work?
It is activated immediately upon opening an account and is enabled for all users. Through an algorithm known as #ThereIsHelp it is identified when a person searches with the word “suicide” or with one of its synonyms. If that happens, send immediate notifications with information from civil organizations focused on mental health.
However, According to the World Health Organization (WHO), every year 703,000 people take their own lives and many more attempt to do so. All cases are a tragedy that affects families, communities and countries and has lasting effects for those close to the victim. Although it can occur at any age, the age group where it occurs with the highest incidence is made up of people between 15 and 29 years of age.
Suicides do not only occur in high-income countries, but are a phenomenon that affects all regions of the world. In fact, more than 77% of suicides in 2019 took place in low- and middle-income countries.
It is estimated that around 20% of suicides are committed by autointoxication with pesticides, most of them in rural agricultural areas of low- and middle-income countries. Other common methods are hanging and shooting with firearms. As indicated in the document Vivir la vida: an application guide for suicide prevention in the countries, knowing the most common methods of suicide is important to develop prevention strategies based on measures of proven efficacy, such as restricting access to Methods used.
Also read:
Fake news about insulin on Twitter causes millions in losses to pharmaceutical
Suicides in Mexico, how to prevent them during the holidays?
Having HIV increases the risk of committing suicide 100 times