Internet suicide victim could have been saved
Saturday, 22 November 2008
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The family of a US teenager who committed suicide live on the internet has condemned viewers and the website for failing to save him.
19-year-old Abraham Biggs - who lived in Florida - took a fatal drug overdose after announcing his intention on his blog.
When he hadn't moved for several hours some viewers finally notified the site's moderator, who then called the police.
An investigation has been launched.
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He's not so much a victim of death, as he is of depression. What we need to realize is that there are ways out other than just "ending it". Nothing is ever as bad as it seems. The key is to ask for help. There's nothing wrong with asking for help sometimes, and if you need help with the struggles of life, then there are plenty of people out there willing to help. Personally, I would prefer if my family stayed out of my life, but if i needed any help, I would seek outside sources, people I don't know who can't judge me and if they do, who cares? I don't know them. I would say that Abraham is a victim, because the first time he claimed suicide, someone should have sought help for him instead of waiting until now to tell the site's moderator. Its not the people legal responsibility, but it is their moral responsibility. Hopefully this will show people that sometimes people need help, so give it to them. Not because you want to, but because they need it
Posted by Anonymous Joe | 23.11.08, 19:45 GMT
Suicide Victim? The guy voluntarily, willfully took pills to kill himself. The victims are his family and everyone who got brought into it through his usage of their services. This was not the first or even second time he said he was killing himself on at least one of those services, so the people there reasonably assumed he was crying wolf again.
I've seriously thought about ending it myself, but it was the pain it would cause my family that kept me from doing it. Maybe his mental condition kept him from giving a damn about his family, I don't know but I find it odd that ANYONE would call this guy a victim when his problems are now over and so many are left to pick up the pieces in the aftermath of his actions.
His death was tragic at such a young age and a huge loss of potential, but if he was a victim, he was the victim only of himself.
Posted by Benjamin, Palm Springs | 22.11.08, 18:39 GMT