Does media inadvertently act as an advertisement for this site?

[Emerita]

I would have never found this site without stumbling upon an article about it. Although the article didn't name the site, it described it, within the first few sentences I had enough information. All it took was entering the phrase "pro-choice suicide forum" into the search bar. I was met with a Wikipedia page that had a picture of the site. I clicked on it, found the name, and instantly created an account. I don't even know if I spent a few minutes lurking, I may have looked at just one post. My knowledge of the site came from an article that mentioned how a site helped someone end their life. I didn't even read the whole article originally, I just left, thinking I had found what I needed. I already knew how to hang myself, it's not hard. I was reading autopsy reports and case studies anything really for weeks, but never found this site while searching.

Do you think the media inadvertently acts as an advertisement for those who are suicidal? It makes this forum seem like the holy grail for someone looking to die. I also feel that the stories about those who have died (RIP) give the site a more credibility in the minds of those who are suicidal, especially because of how they portray it. Research has shown that news coverage can affect suicide rates, particularly when details about methods are provided along with sensationalized stories. However, there hasn't been any in depth research on the impact of news coverage that speaks about this forum.

It's known that seeing a person's face in a picture can be persuasive, as we are social animals. This, combined with confirmation of a death, the method used, and the source of the information, creates a powerful narrative. It's almost hypocritical, as the media provides a map to this forum.

SaSu, with the anonymity of the site may make new users skeptical about the content and its reliability. Research indicates that people tend to initially view anonymous accounts as less trustworthy. However, I would argue that the media depicts this place in a way that enhances its perceived credibility. What do you think?

 

[Linda]

You are by no means the only person who has found the site as a result of (usually negative) coverage in the media. So the answer to your question is definitely "Yes".

 

[Forever Sleep]

It absolutely does. This survey used to be with the sticky threads... So far- 60% found the site via some sort of media piece- The New York Times, the BBC. A massive 40% found it via the Tantacrul YouTube video. Incidently- the site was flooded with suspected applications by minors at that point too. Seeing as I don't think he age restricted the video initially...

How did you first hear about / find your way to SanctionedSuicide? (2nd poll)

It called to me when it was a subreddit sapling. We need that slogan back. DELAYING THE INEVITABLE

sanctioned-suicide.net

 

[Pluto]

 

[SignatureRequired]

100%... People who don't get it will think what they will, the people who truly need this space now know of its existence. (And that is a good thing). However, it makes it easier for people to band together against this place too. That is probably the intended idea of these awful articles.

All it took was entering the phrase "pro-choice suicide forum" into the search bar

Similarly, I typed in "suicide forum".

 

[bankai]

Kind of funny how that comes to bite them back in the butt

Interestingly, I found it on another sports forum. Just a normal forum, but one of the users posted a link to this forum. Completely by chance.

 

[Galahad]

Absolutely. I used to be on the 2 infamous Google groups 20 plus years ago and was as erratic logging in there as I am here (how I wish I'd ordered N back then when there seemed plentiful suppliers).

Fast forward a couple of decades, no easy suicide help online but then the media start hammering an unnamed website for being pro suicide.

It didn't take too long searching to find this place.

I would never have known SaSu existed without the UK media berating it so badly.

 

[artificialpasta]

They aren't ignorant of this effect. There is a longstanding principle about reporting on suicide methods in media.
All they care about is views.

 

[JesiBel]

I found about this forum through Google searching for a ctb method by causing hemorrhage.

Most people are curious. I think if they were to read about this forum in a newspaper article, blog, or social network, they would probably come here to see what it's all about (even if they are not suicidal)

On the subject of trusting anonymous people (all of us), I think we always back ourselves up by looking for information in various places/sites, and from there each one intuits what is useful or real and what is not.

I don't think it has a negative influence either (on people who are 'well'), I mean, I think this phenomenon they call "suicide contagion" is totally false. I doubt that anyone who has a 'good life' just by reading an article or visiting the forum would decide to take their own life just because.

Somehow, mentioning this site somewhere will give it a bit of "advertise" and encourage people to take a look. (Or maybe I'm just too curious, and I'm talking from my perspective)

 

[GeminiButter]

Yep I found out about it through the article that explicitly named it, I think it was the New York Times - it's only one article I've come across that explicitly named it. I searched for a while before to try and find it but couldn't.

 

[BearTreadingWater]

It came top of the search results after I read a BBC article and search something like "pro suicide forum". That was definitely how I found my way here. I'd thought about looking after reading other articles, but think that was the first time I'd searched. Even from the article, it was clear it wasn't what they were accusing it of being.

 

[Ch4in3dcr0w]

Yeah absolutly when a suicidal person reads about a internet forum full of other suicidal people he will be interested and probably join. I dont think the forum affects suicide rates it helps people who would do it most likely anyway with choosing a good method thats as painless as possible there is no advertisment or huge ads screaming "CBT NOW!!!" and no one also talks here like that. I found the most supportive/empathetic people here on this topic ever.