4 ms·

Perhaps a dating app, that helps the suicidal find love would help. If you feel rejected by your society, a bridge to another society might help.

MattGaiser 6y ago
Japan could really use that with its birth rates.
- FruityCoconut 6y ago
  That suggestion has a "yikes" vibe about it. Africa, for example, has a very high birthrate which has and continues to be invaluable in supplementing and diversifying populations in Europe, North America, Oceania, etc with similarly low birthrates. It would be a disaster for multiculturalism and population growth if Europeans started having families again. Is there any reason why Japan would not similarly benefit from such migration patterns?
- FruityCoconut 6y ago
  There are foreign populations with very high birthrates which have and continue to be invaluable in supplementing and diversifying populations in Europe, North America, Oceania, etc with similarly low birthrates. It would be a disaster for multiculturalism and population growth if Europeans, for example, started having families again so nobody is advocating that. Is there any reason why Japan would not similarly benefit from such migration patterns?
Espressosaurus 6y ago
Because you're definitely at your best when you're suicidal, and are not at all likely to be a toxic partner. Sometimes the answer isn't another stupid app.
- avgDev 6y ago
  The "I'm suicidal dating app", that definitely would have a negative impact on both individuals. People need to understand that you can't fix being suicidal by love or buying things.
  - dukeofdoom 6y ago
    Not all suicides are because of a "chemical imbalance" whatever that means. Simple things, like being broke, and not having a job. Or being rejected by your love prospects. Are reasons why people kill themselves too.Being on a negative spiral, and a number of things going wrong and finding yourself in a desperate situation is pretty common thing. If you provide hope, and path to something better, there just might be quite a few people that would take it.
    - mxskelly 6y ago
      Ah right, because using other tried and tested methods like providing everyone better mental healthcare options are boring. Just make an app! Apps solve everything! Apps! Apps! Apps! Oh right but providing better mental healthcare doesn't allow for people to receive bogus investements for their overhyped app and make millions. That's why it's not an option.
      - DanBC 6y ago
        Why do you think reducing loneliness isn't a valid mental health intervention? Social prescribing is a thing for good reasons.
        mxskelly 6y ago
        Damn, my point went impressively far over your head huh.
pmoriarty 6y ago
Would you date someone who's suicidal?
- niq999 6y ago
  As someone suicidal myself, for sure. Otherwise you're a part of the problem.
  - pmoriarty 6y ago
    Two suicidal people dating each other? I'm struggling to imagine how this could be a good idea. Honestly, I don't see relationships as any kind of solution to suicidal ideation. Even when only one of the partners is not suicidal, the relationship has a good chance of ending very badly for both of them. People who are suicidal need a therapist, not a date.
  - fakedang 6y ago
    Or maybe try to seek better mental health resources through some means whatsoever, instead of relying on an app to find someone as mentally vulnerable as you.
- dukeofdoom 6y ago
  Sure why not! I think there are many men in America that find Japanese and South Korean women very attractive, and would connect with them. About 4% of the US population has suicidal thoughts (source CDC) Its not leprosy, these are just thoughts. That will go away for most people. Or might come and go, same way as you might get sick at some points in your life.
  - pmoriarty 6y ago
    "Its not leprosy, these are just thoughts." If the people having these thoughts are really suicidal, then there really is a serious risk of them committing suicide, which makes what they're thinking not "just thoughts". Also, while it may not be leprosy, one's thoughts and world view can seriously affect your partner. Partners committing suicide together does happen, and even when only one of them does it can be devastating for the other, and even if they don't being in a relationship with a suicidal partner can be heartbreaking. I would seriously think twice, and three times even, before dating someone who was suicidal. IMO, suicidal people need to seriously get their lives together and overcome their issues with therapy before dating, or they risk ruining not only their own lives and that of their own family, but that of their partner and their family as well.
mxskelly 6y ago
Yeah just keep throwing apps at every problem, that'll fix things eventually. lmao
tpush 6y ago
An app that provides ready access to extremely vulnerable people is likely to have an incredibly huge abuse potential.
bigwavedave 6y ago
> If you feel rejected by your society, a bridge to another society might help. While I understand you're trying to be helpful, what you need to understand is that suicidal ideation and "feeling rejected by your society" are not synonymous. There can be a relationship, sure- but suicide, by and large, comes from a mentality where the victim legitimately believes they will not ever be happy enough in the future to counter-balance the pain that's consuming them in the present. In their despair, they truly believe that suicide is the only way they can end the suffering. In their minds, this is quite literally their only hope. To say that this is caused by feeling rejected by society is extremely narrow, so please be aware of that. This having been said, trying to begin a relationship while in the throes of depression is not a good idea. If you can't love yourself, it sows the seeds for a highly unhealthy dependent or codependent relationship- even someone who isn't actively considering ending their life can't thrive like that. Finally, consider this: let's say the person using this app is indeed suicidal because they feel like they've been rejected by society- dating apps are infamous for short-lived relationships, rejection, and predatory subscription models (search hn and you will find any number of threads discussing this last one). Even if this is a truly altruistic service without a predatory subscription model, what do you think someone who is in the depths of despair will do if they're rejected by a community that markets itself as a haven for the rejected? If they weren't at the very edge of suicide before, how much closer did they just get pushed? In short, be aware that there's a fair bit more going on than "maybe they feel lonely." I suspect this approach would do more harm than good.
DanBC 6y ago
It's a shame you got so heavily downvoted because your core message - that loneliness is a miserable existence for many people - is one that is understood by people working in suicide prevention. They might not be great at addressing it yet, but they do know it's a problem.

MattGaiser 6y ago

Japan could really use that with its birth rates.

FruityCoconut 6y ago
That suggestion has a "yikes" vibe about it. Africa, for example, has a very high birthrate which has and continues to be invaluable in supplementing and diversifying populations in Europe, North America, Oceania, etc with similarly low birthrates. It would be a disaster for multiculturalism and population growth if Europeans started having families again. Is there any reason why Japan would not similarly benefit from such migration patterns?
FruityCoconut 6y ago
There are foreign populations with very high birthrates which have and continue to be invaluable in supplementing and diversifying populations in Europe, North America, Oceania, etc with similarly low birthrates. It would be a disaster for multiculturalism and population growth if Europeans, for example, started having families again so nobody is advocating that. Is there any reason why Japan would not similarly benefit from such migration patterns?

Espressosaurus 6y ago

Because you're definitely at your best when you're suicidal, and are not at all likely to be a toxic partner. Sometimes the answer isn't another stupid app.

avgDev 6y ago
The "I'm suicidal dating app", that definitely would have a negative impact on both individuals. People need to understand that you can't fix being suicidal by love or buying things.
- dukeofdoom 6y ago
  Not all suicides are because of a "chemical imbalance" whatever that means. Simple things, like being broke, and not having a job. Or being rejected by your love prospects. Are reasons why people kill themselves too.Being on a negative spiral, and a number of things going wrong and finding yourself in a desperate situation is pretty common thing. If you provide hope, and path to something better, there just might be quite a few people that would take it.
  - mxskelly 6y ago
    Ah right, because using other tried and tested methods like providing everyone better mental healthcare options are boring. Just make an app! Apps solve everything! Apps! Apps! Apps! Oh right but providing better mental healthcare doesn't allow for people to receive bogus investements for their overhyped app and make millions. That's why it's not an option.
    - DanBC 6y ago
      Why do you think reducing loneliness isn't a valid mental health intervention? Social prescribing is a thing for good reasons.
      - mxskelly 6y ago
        Damn, my point went impressively far over your head huh.

pmoriarty 6y ago

Would you date someone who's suicidal?

niq999 6y ago
As someone suicidal myself, for sure. Otherwise you're a part of the problem.
- pmoriarty 6y ago
  Two suicidal people dating each other? I'm struggling to imagine how this could be a good idea. Honestly, I don't see relationships as any kind of solution to suicidal ideation. Even when only one of the partners is not suicidal, the relationship has a good chance of ending very badly for both of them. People who are suicidal need a therapist, not a date.
- fakedang 6y ago
  Or maybe try to seek better mental health resources through some means whatsoever, instead of relying on an app to find someone as mentally vulnerable as you.
dukeofdoom 6y ago
Sure why not! I think there are many men in America that find Japanese and South Korean women very attractive, and would connect with them. About 4% of the US population has suicidal thoughts (source CDC) Its not leprosy, these are just thoughts. That will go away for most people. Or might come and go, same way as you might get sick at some points in your life.
- pmoriarty 6y ago
  "Its not leprosy, these are just thoughts." If the people having these thoughts are really suicidal, then there really is a serious risk of them committing suicide, which makes what they're thinking not "just thoughts". Also, while it may not be leprosy, one's thoughts and world view can seriously affect your partner. Partners committing suicide together does happen, and even when only one of them does it can be devastating for the other, and even if they don't being in a relationship with a suicidal partner can be heartbreaking. I would seriously think twice, and three times even, before dating someone who was suicidal. IMO, suicidal people need to seriously get their lives together and overcome their issues with therapy before dating, or they risk ruining not only their own lives and that of their own family, but that of their partner and their family as well.

mxskelly 6y ago

Yeah just keep throwing apps at every problem, that'll fix things eventually. lmao

tpush 6y ago

An app that provides ready access to extremely vulnerable people is likely to have an incredibly huge abuse potential.

bigwavedave 6y ago

> If you feel rejected by your society, a bridge to another society might help. While I understand you're trying to be helpful, what you need to understand is that suicidal ideation and "feeling rejected by your society" are not synonymous. There can be a relationship, sure- but suicide, by and large, comes from a mentality where the victim legitimately believes they will not ever be happy enough in the future to counter-balance the pain that's consuming them in the present. In their despair, they truly believe that suicide is the only way they can end the suffering. In their minds, this is quite literally their only hope. To say that this is caused by feeling rejected by society is extremely narrow, so please be aware of that. This having been said, trying to begin a relationship while in the throes of depression is not a good idea. If you can't love yourself, it sows the seeds for a highly unhealthy dependent or codependent relationship- even someone who isn't actively considering ending their life can't thrive like that. Finally, consider this: let's say the person using this app is indeed suicidal because they feel like they've been rejected by society- dating apps are infamous for short-lived relationships, rejection, and predatory subscription models (search hn and you will find any number of threads discussing this last one). Even if this is a truly altruistic service without a predatory subscription model, what do you think someone who is in the depths of despair will do if they're rejected by a community that markets itself as a haven for the rejected? If they weren't at the very edge of suicide before, how much closer did they just get pushed? In short, be aware that there's a fair bit more going on than "maybe they feel lonely." I suspect this approach would do more harm than good.

DanBC 6y ago

It's a shame you got so heavily downvoted because your core message - that loneliness is a miserable existence for many people - is one that is understood by people working in suicide prevention. They might not be great at addressing it yet, but they do know it's a problem.