ROMANTICISING SUICIDE

When it comes to the stigma associated with suicide, you may think of the shaming. But on the other end of the spectrum, there’s romanticising suicide.

Although it may seem harmless, romanticising suicide can be just as damaging as shaming it, and we need it to stop. Suicide is already very difficult to understand, especially for those who have never experienced suicidal ideation or attempted it. That leaves room for stigma, such as the idea of suicide being selfish.

There are two common ways for romanticising suicide, the first is the tragedy of the gifted individual and the second is the idea of a person being too beautiful for this world. The first is something we’ve all seen a lot on social media as people post images comparing the person who died by suicide to an angel that has been called back to heaven. The second is commonly seen when celebrities of any notoriety die by suicide.

Statements such as, “I am going to Dubai” ... “Suicide ke bokae?” ... “Re neele, re nwe/re sunetse, re swe” ... “Gatwe re swa leng?” ... “Unalive yourself”, often said on social media and in casual conversations further normalise suicide. This takes away the seriousness of the topic and makes it seem like an acceptable decision/solution.

Talking about mental illness in popular media is a sensitive subject. It’s controversial, and often treated as a joke. With the suicide rate steadily increasing each year since 2000, the media has developed a dark fascination with the tragic concept of taking one’s life. It seems that each time we open a social media platform, yet another show or hashtag normalises suicide. Depictions of suicide in the media are often oversimplified, romanticised and graphic.

Recently, social media is largely responsible for perpetuating the narrative of the “beauty in suicide.” For instance, Twitter hashtags such as # cutting skyrocketed 500% since October 2021, according to the Misinformation Index Network Contagion Research Institute. Minimising a form of self-harm is damaging to those who come across these posts. Oversharing graphic details of self harm or suicide can be triggering for those who are working to free themselves of suicidal thoughts.

According to the media contagion effect, celebrity suicides in films and TV have been linked to an increase in widespread suicide rates. The phenomenon’s impact can be small-scale, like hearing about back-to-back suicide attempts at a school. These days people seem to think that mental illness is cute and beautiful. It’s the distorted image that deep thinkers, writers, talented musicians are depressed people sitting in dark rooms, coming up with ideas. Media has a lot to do with this problem as well and has covered suicide as a trivial act, something that passes with the next big news story or headline.

Portraying those who suffer from mental illness, like depression or schizophrenia, as tortured souls, or people whose pain is somehow different from everyone else’s, will just inhibit people who are struggling more. It’s like it’s somehow a privilege to suffer. Instead of seeing it as it is: a psychiatric, medical illness. The message this sends is simple: If you kill yourself, everyone will talk about how much they love and miss you and take the time to value you more than they already do.

In 2017, a TV show hit our screens and teenagers were obsessed. The 13-episode series followed a teenage boy trying to wrap his mind around the suicide of his friend, a teenage girl, as he listens to the 13 tapes she left behind to describe the events leading up to her death. In the end, her peers come to feel sorry for what they did to drive her to her tragic decision. It’s revenge by suicide - a dangerous glamorisation of a very real temptation for many teens. Mental health experts have come forward with warnings about the show, sharing that its powerful storytelling may lead impressionable viewers to romanticise the choices made by the characters and/or develop revenge by suicide fantasies.

The oversimplification of suicidal ideation is equally detrimental to those struggling with mental health. Claiming that suicide is caused by only a few events invalidates serious mental illness leading to suicide, causing confusion when differentiating one’s own valid, yet temporary struggles from severe cases of mental illness. A tendency to categorise a suicide as poetic or beautiful not only portrays events incorrectly, but also recklessly insinuates that suicide can be justified.

All of this is not to say that we shouldn’t discuss suicide at all. Sharing thoughts and feelings can be beneficial, but, according to Camerer, too much talk of suicide may become an issue for those who struggle with a build-up of longterm emotional issues or mental illness.

Suicide is often done out of desperation, because of pain (mental pain included), illness (mental and physical), inability to see the future, and unwillingness to go on surviving.

Parents, teachers, and other adults can be on the lookout for signs of suicidal thoughts in the teenagers around them. Here’s a good list of warning signs:

• Talking or writing about suicide; for example, making statements such as “I’m going to kill myself,” or “I won’t be a problem for you much longer”.

• Withdrawing from social contact • Mood swings • Increasing use of alcohol or drugs • Expressing that they feel trapped or

hopeless about a situation

• Change in normal routine, including eat

ing or sleeping patterns

• Engaging in risky or self-destructive be

haviour • Giving away belongings with no logical

explanation as to why

• Developing severe personality changes • Anxiety or depressive moods

By portraying suicide in a trivial or romanticised way, people may not view legitimate mental health issues as being cause for concern. If someone’s experiences aren’t reflected in the media, they may avoid getting help because they assume they don’t need it. These factors push the notion that suicide is a correct or reasonable response to trauma or mental health struggles without offering up alternative solutions or even calling suicide what it really is: a tragedy.