Social networks may increase the risk of suicide, especially among adolescents, according to the results of a study published in the medical journal American Sociological Review. They would highlight the success of some to increase the pressure and stress of those who fail to achieve objectives.
Researchers at the University of Chicago and Memphis in the United States conducted a 15-year study with an upper-middle-class suburban community in which 19 high school students or recent graduates committed suicide. They conducted interviews and focus groups with 110 people to understand what mechanisms had led these young people to die.
The pressure is too much for teenage girls
The researchers found that there was an intense pressure to succeed among young people, coupled with narrowly defined ideals of what they should be. Indeed, young people must have an academic background and exceptional athletic performance.
Fears of falling short of these ideals are heightened among adolescents, especially as private information has become public with the proliferation of social networks. Researchers have also observed that unhappy teens don’t want to ask their parents for help with mental health issues. Young people who were vulnerable to suicide do not find support either in the real community or on social networks. The displayed weight of the success of others seems to demoralize them.
“One of the most interesting findings from this study is that it highlights the downside of social connections, which are generally touted as a key tool for suicide prevention,” said Anna S. Mueller, assistant professor at the ‘University of Chicago. In conclusion, sociologists recommend the creation of programs to help students cope with school failures and constraints.
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