Facebook launches campaign for suicide prevention

Facebook has launched a campaign for suicide prevention as World Suicide Prevention day approaches, the company announced on Thursday.

The social media app will use suicide prevention tools and algorithms to spread awareness in its month-wide campaign.

Antigone Davis, Head of Global Safety, mentioned in a statement “Throughout September, we’ll connect people with information about support groups and suicide prevention tools through ads in News Feed.”

He added, “We are also launching a new section of our Safety Center with additional resources about suicide prevention and online well being. People can access tools to resolve conflict online, help a friend who is expressing suicidal thoughts or get resources if they’re going through a difficult time.”

The recent rise of the ‘Blue Whale’ game has rung alarms across the globe. These games use manipulation techniques to arouse suicidal behaviour especially among teenagers. Facebook has decided to play its part in ending such trends. 

“For those who reach out to us, we provide suggested text to make it easier for people to start a conversation with their friend in need and also provide information and resources for how to best handle the situation. We provide the friend who has expressed suicidal thoughts information about local help lines, along with other tips and resources,” the company added in a press release.