To those commenting that this somehow absolves friends from the responsibility of connection (and that's a bad thing), you're missing the point: - Not everyone

To those commenting that this somehow absolves friends from the responsibility of connection (and that's a bad thing), you're missing the point: - Not everyone HAS friends who are willing or able to connect with them sufficiently. Saying "yeah, but they should" does NOT help the actual situation. These resources might. - It is hard to know what to do with a (near) suicidal friend. Even if you truly wish to help, "connecting" or reaching out to them often doesn't help sufficiently. It can also be extremely draining on the helpful friend, who thinks they have a responsibility as a friend and good person to be there for someone in need. For normal gloom and doldrums, sure, that's what friends are for. For severe depression and suicidal thoughts, a friend can very quickly get in over their head, becoming the sole emotional anchor or lifeline for the depressed person. This can also lead to the helpful person's becoming burnt out, depressed, and upset at their perceived failure in helping this person they care about. The more technology can do in identifying this negative emotional vortex and prompting people with the appropriate resources, the better. If you're commenting about a friend's responsibility, have you ever been severely (suicidally) depressed, or the prime friend of someone who is? I have. I support Facebook's actions in this wholeheartedly.