Spate of live-stream suicides spurs copycat worries
SPECIAL REPORT: Regulator vows to ‘monitor’ content, meet social media giants, writes Dumrongkiat Mala
Aspate of live-stream suicides in Thailand in recent weeks has drawn grave concerns from health experts and the broadcast regulator over incidents of copycat behaviour.
Just over two weeks ago, a 21-year-old father hanged his 11-month-old daughter on the third floor of an abandoned building in Phuket, following a quarrel with his wife.
As the infant slowly died, the father posted a broadcast of her last moments live on his Facebook account. He then hanged himself.
Within 24 hours, his video received 370,000 views and hundreds of comments, mostly expressing shock.
A few days later, a man from Phetchabun province also live-streamed his unsuccessful attempt to hang his five-year-old girl.
And earlier this week, a man from Nakhon Sawan live streamed his suicide attempt by drinking pesticide before passing out in front of the camera.
Fortunately, officers came t o t he rescue after his friend saw his live attempt on Facebook.
The Department of Mental Health (DMH) has expressed concern over the live-streaming clips, fearing they may lead to copycat actions, particularly among youngsters who are considered to be vulnerable.
DMH director-general Boonruang Trairuangvorawat said live-streaming could not be censored or edited while it was on air. It could encourage copycat practices, especially among minors.
He advised netizens not to share livestream suicides and shut off any live broadcasts to prevent youngsters and people suffering from anxiety and other mental health issues from watching them.
“We are seeing this new and disturbing trend of publicising violent actions via Facebook Live,” Dr Boonruang said.
The chief said the psychology behind a public suicide, such as live-streaming, can be complicated. Just like there are myriad reasons for suicide, reasons for live streaming suicide also vary.
“Some people want to punish [society] with their suicide. Others want to feel connected and take away the solitary feeling of the act, but remain in their comfort zone,” he said.
“Some may want to get their name in social media, to seek attention.”
Some consider their suicide is a statement to be heard, said Dr Boonruang, and live-streaming gives them the opportunity to magnify that statement.
Psychiatrist Apichart Jariyaviraj said live-streaming suicides could increase the chances of what experts call suicide contagion, which is also common after celebrities kill themselves.
He said many suicide victims often leave notes on Facebook hinting at their suffering.
They may even post pictures of guns or tools to commit suicide.
“If a friend or relative sees someone they know posting this sort of thing on social media, they should not ignore that cry for help. When coming across a signal, do not challenge the person, but discourage the person from taking their life because stepping in during this period is important to prevent suicides,” Dr Apichart said.
The expert also encouraged media and the public to not share or post pictures or videos of people who have committed suicide. Disturbing content should be removed from social media almost immediately after the incident takes place.
“Our regulators may need to discuss the matter with social media operators such as Facebook, YouTube or Instagram to find a solution to take the clip down as quickly as possible,” he said.
In response to the concerns, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) said no regulations are in place yet, but the body plans to regulate content broadcast on over-the-top (OTT) TV — the audio, video, and other media content delivered over the internet.
NBTC chairman Natee Sukonrat told the Bangkok Post the watchdog may regulate OTT content through the ratings system, similar to that used with public TV channels today, so they can monitor any inappropriate content found on Facebook and YouTube effectively.
Mr Natee said NBTC will hold talks with OTT service providers this month. It will also meet social media operators.
Live stream suicides will be among inappropriate content, which also includes obscene content, to be monitored. “It’s not only suicide live streaming that will be regulated.... striptease and other inappropriate content will be covered as well,” he said.
Responding to the repeated incidents, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg last week announced that the company was going to hire 3,000 people — on top of the 4,500 staff it already had — to help it respond more quickly to reports of abusive behaviour on the platform.
Some people want to punish [society] with their suicide. DR BOONRUANG TRAIRUANGVORAWAT DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH DIRECTOR-GENERAL