It's issues like this that both upset and confuse me. I just can't understand how children and people in general can be pushed to suicide by what they read or are exposed to on the internet. Perhaps it's because I can't imagine harming myself that I don't understand the state that this people must be in. Suicide is such a tough situation and so hard to deal with. It makes me sad to think people target troubled souls and enjoy seeing the harm they do to themselves.

I find this kind of thing more pathetic and infuriating than really sad.  The thought of teenagers being that impressionable and losing themselves to much in the internet world, is pitiful.  Parents have to do a better job of making their children live in reality, and finding ways to make the responsible and resilient.  of course part of the problem in Russia is that the parents aren't good parents, as indicated by the drinking problem that leads to many of the youth suicides.  But I just don't relate to the idea of someone being so weak and vulnerable that they'd be convinced to commit suicide based on what someone wrote online.  I'm not a strong person.  At all.  But that thought remains completely foreign to me.

I found the number of adolescent deaths in Russia alarming, but not surprising. Young adult suicide rates here in the US have also been increasing since 2004. The fact that the suicides in Russia have been directly linked to social media is very telling. The rise of adolescent suicide here in the US directly parallels the rise of social media.

Dear friend,                                                                I have just ready a very disturbing story. A young girl in Russia has committed suicide. There are online groups that target young teenagers and kids and encourage them to harm themselves and to commit suicide. It is a very scary and sad thing.

This is a story about a 12 year old girl in Russia who killed herself after spending time online with a group that promotes suicide. I feel so badly for the family and for the girl. A group like that should not be able to operate online and influence people to harm themselves. This is just so wrong.