Trigger Warning: This blog discusses themes around suicide, self-harm and death which some readers may find distressing. Wellbeing support resources are included at the bottom of the page.

This piece also includes spoilers from the shows 13 Reasons Why and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

The Romanticising of Suicide and Suicidal Ideation

Introduction 

Suicide has been deeply rooted in stigma within many cultures and societies. However, widespread media availability has allowed writers and journalist to give a voice to suicide, making it more commonplace for viewers. Sky-rocketing social media usage, particularly by young people, has meant potentially harmful content is free to access and may not always be moderated. Samaritans report that 6391 suicides in the UK (not including NI) were recorded in 2021, an overall increase over the previous year.¹ I explore whether suicide is romanticised in the media and if this may play a part in increasing suicidal ideation. 

Celebrities

In 2020, the BMJ investigated the impact of reporting celebrity suicide. It found that in the 1-2 months following death, an 8-18% increase in suicides occurred. If the method of suicide was included, there was an 18-44% increase in the same method being used.² 

The authors report that the five months following the death of Robin Williams, deaths by suicide increased by almost 10% in the US. A different article from The Heights - Boston College on Robin Williams' death echoes this, adding that romanticising suicide by using terminology such as that Williams is now "free" is dangerous. “It is important to understand that suicide is not a path to freedom—it is a cessation of all freedoms.” The article states that suicide should be discussed to help prevent it without romanticising it.³ 

Other instances where suicides have increased, include after Marylin Monroe’s death in 1962 and after Goethe’s Sorrows of Young Werther was published, with many using a similar method as the protagonist. 

Explanations include possible identification with the celebrity or character and viewing suicide as a valid way to cope with difficulties (especially where no helplines or resources are included). The BMJ authors suggest media reporting may increase suicidal ideation and planning.

Teen Dramas 

Streaming sites are proving popular with younger viewers. 13 Reasons Why is a Netflix teen drama series where the main character takes her life and leaves 13 tapes in which she details the reasons she chose to end her life, as well as the people she believes are responsible. Ending her life is graphically portrayed and PAPYRUS, a suicide prevention charity for young people, states that since the Netflix series, 13 Reasons Why premiered, many callers have cited the programme. The charity released a statement warning parents and teens about the effects the show could have on those struggling with their mental health.⁴

[IMAGE: 13 Reasons Why advertisement Netflix]

An opinion piece by blogger Rachel Lee also criticises the show, feeling it romanticises suicide: “[13 Reasons Why] overlooks the sensitive nuances of mental health and simplifies Hannah’s suicide as a consequence of the actions of 13 people. It fails to show viewers that therapy and/or medication can be extremely helpful and successful. Most disturbingly, it shows the graphic scene of Hannah killing herself.” The author explains that whilst reporting suicide guidelines emphasise not glamorising or describing the method of suicide, the show does both and fails to explore other realities of suicide such as how months later the school moves on or the devastating effects the suicide has on her family and friends years later.⁵

Conversely, not everyone agrees that the show promotes suicidal ideation in young people. Psychologist Dr Elena Touroni argues: “Those struggling with mental health issues, it could give them the chance to open up a dialogue about a very difficult and taboo issue.”⁴

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, another teen drama on Netflix, has also been criticised for romanticising suicide. The protagonist, Sabrina, and her boyfriend both die by suicide - she sacrifices herself and he ends up in the afterlife with her shortly after. It has been suggested that the duo’s relationship is toxic and perpetuates the idea that to truly love someone, you must be willing to die for them and that this sends a dangerous message to young viewers.⁶

Social Media

[IMAGE: Popular Social Media Icons]

There have been a number of inquests suggesting that access to harmful social media content has been responsible for the suicides of some young people.

Molly Russell was a 14 year old who viewed depressive content on Instagram and Pinterest over a long period leading up to her death. The inquest suggests the easily accessible content she viewed contributed to her death. It was not age-appropriate, with algorithms providing depressive and graphic content around self-harm. Oliver Sanders KC, representing the Russell family, said: “[The sites] were romanticising the idea of self-harm, romanticising the idea of suicide.”⁷ The inquest concluded she “died from an act of self-harm whilst suffering from depression and the negative effects of on-line content”.⁸

Frankie Thomas was 15 when she died after viewing explicit self-harm material for several months. The last piece of content she read was on Wattpad (a story sharing platform) which mirrored the method she used to take her life. The coroner criticised Wattpad for not removing inappropriate content, as well as the school for failing to monitor Frankie's online activity or ensure internet filters were in place.⁹

Zaheid Ali was 13 when he died after viewing and posting material about suicide online during lockdown. He had also followed someone on social media who had taken their life, and the inquest heard his suicide note contained lyrics of a song from a 14 year old who died by suicide.¹⁰

However, media psychologist Dr Don Grant, describes a potential positive when using social media during times of distress, due to the “online disinhibition effect” where users may be more willing to share their struggles, seek help and find community.¹¹

Reporting Guidelines and The Power of Influence 

The National Union of Journalists recognise that the media has a responsibility to report certain issues in a sensitive manner, and highlights an established link between mental illness and suicide, and between media reporting and suicide. They explain that more than 50 research studies worldwide have found certain types of news coverage can increase the likelihood of vulnerable individuals dying by suicide. The magnitude of the increase is related to the amount, duration and prominence of coverage. Their Responsible Reporting on Mental Health, Mental Illness and Death By Suicide guideline for journalists therefore outlines how to correctly report suicide cases without sensationalising them.¹² Despite such guidelines, an analysis of British media reports of suicide across a single month in 2014 found that only 13% of articles adhered to them (Utterson, Daoud &, 2017).¹³

[IMAGE: Dos and Don’ts reporting guidelines from National Union of Journalists]

An article written by child psychologists on adolescent suicide and media, explains that the glorified portrayal of suicides (including in 13 Reasons Why) has led to an epidemic of suicide among youngsters and such portrayals are detrimental for the social and psychological wellbeing of their patients. The authors say that access to information around suicides in the media has actually increased; where content is easily accessible online and on 24 hour news channels for example. They suggest it is imperative for media personnel to be psychologically informed and use their reporting to show there is no glory in suicide, and rather that every death is tragic.¹⁴

The authors of the 2005 research paper on Media and Suicide suggest that when suicides are reported in film, newspaper and television, additional suicides increase. For example, an episode of BBC TV show Casualty featured a character who had overdosed on paracetamol. This led to a 17% increase in suicide attempts in the 3 weeks following the episode, compared to the 3 preceding weeks. 20% of the people who had ingested paracetamol as a means of attempting suicide admitted that the programme influenced their choice of agent.¹⁵

Historical examples suggest that responsible media guidelines help reduce suicides. In the late 1970s there were a large number of suicides from jumping in front of trains in Vienna which were graphically and widely reported in newspapers. Once the Austrian Association of Suicide Prevention began implementing responsible reporting guidelines in 1987, which included no longer reporting methods used by suicide victims, there was an 80% decrease of suicides in the following 6 months, and lower incidences of suicides thereafter.¹⁵

Conclusion

The media, including social media platforms, have played a role in encouraging suicide among young people. For loved ones, especially caregivers to younger people, it is important to have open conversations and provide support and guidance where possible, keeping abreast with what helpful and harmful content might be accessible. 

The media has influence and with that comes responsibility to ensure suicide reporting is not sensationalised, to reduce the risk of suicide. This influence should instead be used to promote recovery and prevention, with suicide portrayed in a way that encourages viewers to get support instead. 

Sophie Izzard March 2023

Support

References 

1. https://www.samaritans.org/about-samaritans/research-policy/suicide-facts-and-figures/latest-suicide-data/
2. https://www.bmj.com/company/newsroom/media-reports-of-celebrity-suicide-linked-to-increased-suicide-rates/
3. https://www.bcheights.com/2014/09/14/resist-romanticizing-when-discussing-suicide/
4. https://www.thesun.co.uk/living/3708383/student-tried-take-own-life-three-times-slams-netflix-show-13-reasons-why-romanticising-suicide/
5. https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/gravematters/2018/03/01/from-heathers-to-13-reasons-why-romanticizing-suicide/
6. https://www.cbr.com/chilling-adventures-sabrina-nick-suicide
7. https://www.campaignasia.com/article/instagram-romanticising-the-idea-of-suicide/481623
8. https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Molly-Russell-Prevention-of-future-deaths-report-2022-0315_Published.pdf
9. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-58817821
10. https://metro.co.uk/2023/03/10/boy-13-jumped-from-tower-bridge-after-viewing-suicide-posts-online-18422886/
11. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-role-does-social-media-have-on-suicidal-ideation-6543962
12. https://pure.strath.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/39925163/nuj_guidelines_for_reporting_mental_health_and_death_by_suicide_1.pdf / https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/50859/
13. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28400965/
14. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318276717
15. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32067758/