Blue Whale Challenge: Here's how Facebook is planning to defeat death!
In an effort to help curb suicides linked to the internet game Blue Whale challenge, social media giant Facebook is currently working with suicide prevention partners to track phrases, hash-tags and group names associated with online challenges encouraging self-harm or suicide. Starting on World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10, the company stated that it would connect people in India with information about support groups and suicide prevention tools in the News Feed.
In an effort to help curb suicides linked to the internet game Blue Whale challenge, social media giant Facebook is currently working with suicide prevention partners to track phrases, hash-tags and group names associated with online challenges encouraging self-harm or suicide. Starting on World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10, the company stated that it would connect people in India with information about support groups and suicide prevention tools in the News Feed.
Antigone Davis, Head of Global Safety at Facebook said, “We are also launching a new section of our Safety Center with additional resources about suicide prevention and online well-being. People can access tools to resolve conflict online, help a friend who is expressing suicidal thoughts or get resources if they’re going through a difficult time.”
The company also stated that it would remove content that violates the Community Standards, which do not allow the promotion of self-injury or suicide. Facebook will also help those who reach out to them, and provide suggested text to make it easier for people to start a conversation with their friend in need and also provide information and resources for how to best handle the situation.
People can also reach out to Facebook when they see something that makes them concerned about a friend’s well-being. The company has teams working around the world, 24/7, who review reports that come in and prioritize the most serious reports like suicide.
“We provide the friend who has expressed suicidal thoughts information about local help lines, along with other tips and resources. Thanks to over 80 partners around the world, the resources people see are specific to where they are located”, Davis added.