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Latest news announced that Facebook introduces anti-suicide tools for U.K users.
Latest news announced that Facebook introduces anti-suicide tools for U.K users. It was revealed the social network designed a new suicide prevention tool for British citizens with Facebook accounts. The company worked with the Samaritans so as to develop a new method that would help and advise those prone to suicide.
Facebook’s new setting is to be released soon in the United Kingdom. The new tool is already available in the United States and Australia. The new tool is aimed not only to help individuals with such problems, but also to support friends and families.
Julie de Bailliencourt, safety policy manager at Facebook, claimed
“We have a really strong sense of responsibility towards the safety of people who are on our platform. We felt that while we’ve been working with the Samaritans for a number of years, we wanted to take this partnership to a whole new level.”
Also, Ruth Sutherland, CEO of Samaritans, explained suicide can be prevented and these tools play a fundamental part in achieving that. The new suicide prevention tools allow users to state if they experience any kind of troubles that might lead to suicide. The Facebook team will respond to their questions, giving them support through a helpline.
Moreover, the new option will put at individuals’ disposal recommendations on how to handle negative thoughts. Those who report explicit suicidal content will be offered information as well as emergency services. Users who show less obvious problems will be helped by a Facebook team specialized on these matters.
As the social network claimed, the new method was developed in such a way that people can be encouraged to talk about their problems and connect with other in the same situation. In addition, every time a user was flagged by a friend or family, the next time they log in Facebook will give them a message.
The message is aimed to help them by saying a friend tried to reach out, asking users to read their new posts. Suicide became the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, affecting people of all ages. According to the CDC, every 12, 3 minutes someone dies as a result of suicide. In the whole world, over 800, 000 people commit suicide every year. The CDC has also stated the majority of those who harm themselves are aged 15 to 24.
The most common reason behind suicidal thoughts is depression or the feeling that you are completely helpless. Such actions affect not only those who attempt to kill themselves, but also their families and friends. However, the fact that Facebook introduces anti-suicide tools might prove to be a great help for those who are prone to harm themselves.
Photo Credits: Wikimedia
