Live-streaming of suicide is one’s last big statement before making an exit
THE PECULIAR BRAVADO LIVE-STREAMED ON A SOCIAL NETWORK BY ARJUN BHARDWAJ, IN THE MOMENTS BEFORE HIS SUICIDE, WAS MOST PROBABLY HIS LAST LUNGE AT BEING REMEMBERED AFTER DEATH
Is suicide-streaming the new selfie? Shocking as it may sound, the trend of people live-streaming their last moments on the earth points to a desire to be remembered — and maybe even admired, in a morbid way — after death.
The recent case that has both shocked and fascinated the nation is that of Arjun Bhardwaj, the 24-year-old who on April 3 checked into a posh hotel suite, and live-streamed his suicide on Facebook. In the footage, one can see him taking the final steps, as he says, “Ok, I don’t think I can record this while doing it. But f*** it, okay cool... See you guys on the other side.” Then he jumped off the 19th floor of the hotel.
Just a day after this, Bigg Boss Kannada winner and actor-filmmaker Pratham streamed a video after taking sleeping pills. In the video, he said, “Anything that I do is being wrongly projected. I cannot take it anymore. This will be my final Facebook Live video and sorry if I have hurt anyone.” Luckily, he was saved.
Suicide is supposed to be a lonely affair, a desperate choice made by people who feel deserted by the world. Then how does one interpret Bhardwaj’s bravado in the final moments of his life? He smoked, drank, and gave a ‘suicide tutorial’ online — actions that amazed people far more than the suicide itself.
Psychologist Dr Pulkit Sharma says, “Most people commit suicide because they’re depressed and hopeless. They do it silently in a closed room. But those suffering from personality issues might have a lot of anger in them. They might also be attention-seekers. When they get very disturbed, they end their lives in a dramatic way. That act becomes a statement. Even while ending their life, they’re happy that they’re making a statement to the world. They die with the hope that their story will go into the newspapers; people will talk about them.”
Live-streaming of suicides may be new to India, but quite a few cases have been reported from the West. In March, an 11-year-old boy from Michigan took his life after his girlfriend faked suicide on social media. In January, aspiring Hollywood actor Frederick Jay Bowdy shot himself in the head and live-streamed it on Facebook. The same month, a 14-year-old Miami girl live-streamed her suicide. Last December, a 12-year-old Georgia girl hanged herself and live-streamed it.
Dr Sharma says that there’s a ‘larger-than-life element’ to such acts. “It’s a masterstroke... maybe to become immortal as they die,” he says.
Depression and suicide are words that we want to avoid. A situation where a friend or relative is depressed enough to be contemplating suicide may be staring us in the face, but we may play it down in our own mind and deprive someone of help.
The Internet is inundated with websites and blogs that talk of ways to commit suicide — from painless methods to tutorials. However, suicide helplines have found a way around it. As soon as you search for “ways to commit suicide” on Google, the first result that pops up is a 24x7 helpline with an Indian telephone number and a website address. Facebook has launched various suicide prevention measures.
Psychologist Dr Anil Sethi says that the desire to seek attention through suicide or attempted suicide could be the result of years of neglect. He suggests watching out for visible changes in a person’s behaviour. “It’s important to be observant. We must also build hope. Hope is a key factor [in keeping someone alive],” he says.
It’s important to curb social media usage. Experts say that one shouldn’t read anything and everything. Even if everything is available, you still have to exercise discretion. One shouldn’t spend too much time in the virtual world. It must be balanced with real life. Social media de-addiction centres have been established in the US, and they might open soon in India — the work is under way at AIIMS.
Dr Sethi recalls a patient he treated: “I met a chemical engineering student from IIT Delhi. His grades were dropping. His parents were worried, as he used to keep to himself. They contacted me for help. He cried a lot and told me that he didn’t like the stream he was being made to study. I understood that this boy was suicidal, a fact he shared me with me during therapy. He gradually improved with counselling, took admission in a private college with the stream of his choice and is now in the US.”