Facebook is taking its credo of connecting people further via a new application that can help prevent tragic suicides. The application is designed in such a way that friends of the user can anonymously report posts that they think are bordering on suicidal. Once reported, Facebook then contacts the user and offers a direct link to a private chat with a crisis representative from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
According to Facebook spokesman Frederic Wolens, the idea was something that naturally followed what they had been planning for a long time now, and with nearly 100 Americans committing suicide everyday, Facebook’s application just might make a difference.
Unfortunately, the application is yet to be available in the Philippines, but in an age when people can attack you viciously online and bully you into even thinking about ending your life, it’s at least comforting to know that technology can also help you address those same issues in a positive way. Hopefully, Facebook can become a channel for a more nurturing environment.
Suicide can sometimes stem from depression. Learn more about it with these articles on FN:
(Photo by Ed Yourdon via Flickr Creative Commons)
