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Maybe focus on addressing critical societal issues instead of blaming a blog platform? This narrative is insane.

forrestthewoods 12y ago
When there is a mass shooting and the media covers it extensively and gratuitously they significantly increase the chance of additional shootings in the following weeks. When someone commits suicide and it gets a lot of attention there is an increase in suicides in the following weeks. That's worth talking about.
- joshstrange 12y ago
  Ok, so if mainstream news still hasn't figured out how to handle this why do we expect Tumblr to be on top of it? Mainstream news sets a TERRIBLE example of how to handle tragedies like this. I agree with briandoll, let's stop blaming Tumblr for doing nothing wrong (They aren't using this in marketing or as a way to get more users/eyeballs) and focus on the flaws in society that lead to these kids taking their lives. When the news covers shoots (or stories like this) they ARE trying to attract more viewer, it's a very different thing IMHO to just leaving up posts and allowing users to share. I see Tumblr taking down posts extremely disrespectful to the deceased. Let's not pretend a blogging platform is to blame, instead let's blame the real people at fault: the parents and the communities that drove these kids to what they saw as their only option.
  - DanBC 12y ago
    Some social media sites will restrict information that is directly harmful -- you can't create a subreddit to share methods of suicide for example -- so they may want to consider whether they've drawn the line in the right place. If a site bans pro-anorexic content they've already said they're happy to restrict free speech if there's a strong enough protective need.
anigbrowl 12y ago
Suicide contagion is a known phenomenon, and mentioned in the article. Is it rational? No, but neither are suicidal people. Teens are at particular risk because of unfamiliar hormonal loading. It's not the sort of problem where you can easily engineer away the underlying causes so it makes sense to deal with the social manifestations. some social causes can be engineered away, but in many respects suicide is a radical political act that's at odds with deeply ingrained societal ideology (eg the extremely attenuated legal rights of juveniles in the US) which are a) not amenable to short-term change, and b) not so simply causal that change will automatically lower suicide rates.
rhino369 12y ago
The blog platform is part of society and it is very much a part of their sub-society. Suicide contagion is a real phenomenon and Tumblr societies seem to be glorifying it. This might just be my privilege leaking, but I also wonder if spending so much time documenting and discussing injustice depresses people and makes them feel hopeless. There is a very strong contingent on Tumblr that exists to find something to be outraged about every single day. I don't mean we should whitewash discrimination and injustice, but I seriously doubt wallowing in it helps.

When there is a mass shooting and the media covers it extensively and gratuitously they significantly increase the chance of additional shootings in the following weeks. When someone commits suicide and it gets a lot of attention there is an increase in suicides in the following weeks. That's worth talking about.

joshstrange 12y ago
Ok, so if mainstream news still hasn't figured out how to handle this why do we expect Tumblr to be on top of it? Mainstream news sets a TERRIBLE example of how to handle tragedies like this. I agree with briandoll, let's stop blaming Tumblr for doing nothing wrong (They aren't using this in marketing or as a way to get more users/eyeballs) and focus on the flaws in society that lead to these kids taking their lives. When the news covers shoots (or stories like this) they ARE trying to attract more viewer, it's a very different thing IMHO to just leaving up posts and allowing users to share. I see Tumblr taking down posts extremely disrespectful to the deceased. Let's not pretend a blogging platform is to blame, instead let's blame the real people at fault: the parents and the communities that drove these kids to what they saw as their only option.
- DanBC 12y ago
  Some social media sites will restrict information that is directly harmful -- you can't create a subreddit to share methods of suicide for example -- so they may want to consider whether they've drawn the line in the right place. If a site bans pro-anorexic content they've already said they're happy to restrict free speech if there's a strong enough protective need.

anigbrowl 12y ago

Suicide contagion is a known phenomenon, and mentioned in the article. Is it rational? No, but neither are suicidal people. Teens are at particular risk because of unfamiliar hormonal loading. It's not the sort of problem where you can easily engineer away the underlying causes so it makes sense to deal with the social manifestations. some social causes can be engineered away, but in many respects suicide is a radical political act that's at odds with deeply ingrained societal ideology (eg the extremely attenuated legal rights of juveniles in the US) which are a) not amenable to short-term change, and b) not so simply causal that change will automatically lower suicide rates.

rhino369 12y ago

The blog platform is part of society and it is very much a part of their sub-society. Suicide contagion is a real phenomenon and Tumblr societies seem to be glorifying it. This might just be my privilege leaking, but I also wonder if spending so much time documenting and discussing injustice depresses people and makes them feel hopeless. There is a very strong contingent on Tumblr that exists to find something to be outraged about every single day. I don't mean we should whitewash discrimination and injustice, but I seriously doubt wallowing in it helps.