Why Facebook's Suicide Prevention Tool Matters

Social media platforms, such as chat rooms, blogging Web sites, social networking sites have transformed traditional methods of communication by allowing the instantaneous and interactive sharing of information which is created and controlled by individuals, groups and organizations.

About 800000 people commit suicide worldwide every year, of these 135,000 (17 per cent) are residents of India, a nation with 17.5 per cent of world population. Between 1987 and 2007, the suicide rate increased from 7.9 to 10.3 per 100,000, with higher suicide rates in southern and eastern states of India.

Peer pressure and depression owing to examination stress have emerged as the basic reasons for a number of students committing suicide.

According to a recent International Center for Media & the Public Affairs (ICMPA) study, "students around the world reported that being tethered to digital technology 24/7 is not just a habit, it is essential to the way they construct and manage their friendships and social lives."

Facebook has launched its suicide prevention tools in India in collaboration with AASRA and Deepika Padukone's The Live Love Laugh Foundation.

The suicide prevention tools have being rolled out in all the local languages supported by Facebook India. The global rollout was announced in a Facebook Safety ">post on Tuesday, penned by Antigone Davis, Facebook's Global Head of Safety, and Jennifer Guadagno, Researcher. "Today we're updating the resources we offer to people around the world who may be experiencing self-injury or suicidal thoughts, as well as the support we offer to their concerned friends and family members," it reads.

The company has also published a Help A Friend in Need guide, originally created in partnership with The Jed Foundation and The Clinton Foundation.

The Facebook suicide prevention tools will enable users to take action or ">report posts to Facebook that indicate suicidal behaviour. Users can either reach out to people they are concerned about directly, or report the post to Facebook, which has review teams working around the clock. These reports will be prioritized by the team for further action.