17th suicide in Welsh town
Police refute Bridgend suicides link:
Another youth has commuted suicide in the Welsh town of Bridgend bring the total to 17.
Most if not all of them had a profile on the social website Bebo. Some people have said that Bebo itself is to blame. While I find that claim ridiculous there was an interesting quote in the article…
At least ten of the victims seem to have been known to each other, however, with several having friendship links on Bebo, a social networking site. After their deaths the profiles of many of the victims have quickly been transformed into virtual shrines with condolences and messages such as “sleep tight” and “RIP”.
Some commentators have suggested the website allows the glorification of the deaths, promoting copycat suicides.
While that’s entirely plausible I don’t think Bebo is to blame. If it wasn’t Bebo it would have been some other site and there have been instances of suicide clusters prior to the internet becoming popular.
Again if anyone from Bridgen or anywhere else in the UK is reading this and contemplating suicide please get help.
Tags: Bebo, Bridgend, suicide, wales
1 opinion for 17th suicide in Welsh town
Mrs.Janet Goucher
Feb 24, 2008 at 7:57 pm
Even though I agree you cannot hold internet sites personally responsible for the suicides in Bridgend , it does seem rather a coincidence that the young adults did seem to leave a message on a website when their friend had taken their life,and that some of the people concerned did know one another.I have read of suicide clusters that happen when suicides are reported by the media, and it would be interesting to see what other people make of this opinion.
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