Is Social Media Contributing to the Rising Teen Suicide Rate?

Who (or what) is the subject of this article? Be sure to use the headline for information.

The article "Is Social Media Contributing to Rising Teen Suicide Rate" by Elizabeth Chuck is about Sadie Riggs a 15-year-old girl who hangs herself as a result of bullying in school and on social media. The article focuses on how social media has led to a drastic increase of suicidal cases among young adults. It also discusses on parental abandonment as this was one of the reasons why Sadie got vulnerable to bullying.

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What is situation, conflict, or event being described?

The article describes the events of a girl, Sadie, being abandoned by her mother. She was left with her aunt Sarah Smith. In her freshman year in high school, she started being bullied by her peers. Most made fun of her red hair and braces claiming the only devils had red hair.

This mockery and stereotyping escalated from the hallways of their school to social media. Her aunt tried to intervene by requesting for help from the police and even visiting Instagram offices but there was no assistance of any kind. She, therefore, decided to take Sadie's phone but it was too late as the bullying had already taken its toll. A week later Sadie took her own life by hanging.

When or for how long did this event occur?

It took about a week after her aunt took her phone.

Where did the event(s) take place?

The event took place in Bedford, Pennsylvania, approximately 100 miles east of Pittsburgh. At Sadie's aunt's place.

How did the situation, conflict, or event unfold or get resolved?

Sadie's aunt Sarah Smith reported the incident to NBC news and Elizabeth Chuck a reporter with the news center wrote an article about the event. In the article, several experts argue that there is need to limit the kind of content that teenagers get access to either on social media, books or their phones.

Why is this newsworthy (in relation to your work, topic, or thesis?

The news article addresses some of the critical issues in the society today - teen suicide, stereotyping, bullying and the influence of technology. It indicates that the major cause of suicide among teens is bullying and other people's perception of them. This is related to my TV show of choice "13 Reasons Why" which focuses on the obstacles faced by young adults either in school or at home. All the challenges outlined in the news article and the television show have led to one outcome - teen suicide. In the news article, Sadie her life by hanging whereas, in the television show, Hannah Baker slits her wrists in their home bathtub.

Both the television show and the article outlines the effects of teen suicide. In the news article, Sadie Riggs' death causes pain and sorrow to her aunt as she was the only family she had. In the show, Hannah Backer's mom is seen to blame herself for her daughter's predicaments.

Other notes:

The two clearly shows that there is a need for action to address the rising cases of teen suicide. Policies should be put in place and the government, parents, and schools should work together to ensure that teens are protected from a bullying in schools and on social media. However, social media platforms should be steadfast in ensuring that their platforms are secure environments for people especially teenagers to interact on.

There is a need for education where students are taught about kindness and that one should do unto that's what they want to be done unto them.

News Article

Chuck, Elizabeth. "Is Social Media Contributing to the Rising Teen Suicide Rate?". NBC News, 22 October 2017. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/social-media-contributing-rising-teen-suicide-rate-n812426