Facebook has launched a new feature that the social network giant says will help prevent suicides.
A new button unveiled today will let users report “suicidal content” in a status update to Facebook.
Facebook will then e-mail the person who posted the status update and encourage them to call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline or begin a confidential chat session with a crisis worker at Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
“Preventing suicide is everyone’s business,” Surgeon General Regina Benjamin said in a Facebook blog post announcing the feature. “As members of family, a school, business, a neighborhood, faith communities, friends and our government, we all need to work together to solve this problem.”
Nearly 100 American commit suicide each day and in the past year more than 8 million Americans 18 or older have seriously contemplated suicide, Benjamin said.
“Once we begin to support those in need … we will reduce the rates of suicide, advance health and improve the use of limited health care dollars,” Benjamin said.
http://blog.sfgate.com/techchron/2011/12/13/facebook-launches-new-suicide-alert-button/
A new button unveiled today will let users report “suicidal content” in a status update to Facebook.
Facebook will then e-mail the person who posted the status update and encourage them to call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline or begin a confidential chat session with a crisis worker at Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
“Preventing suicide is everyone’s business,” Surgeon General Regina Benjamin said in a Facebook blog post announcing the feature. “As members of family, a school, business, a neighborhood, faith communities, friends and our government, we all need to work together to solve this problem.”
Nearly 100 American commit suicide each day and in the past year more than 8 million Americans 18 or older have seriously contemplated suicide, Benjamin said.
“Once we begin to support those in need … we will reduce the rates of suicide, advance health and improve the use of limited health care dollars,” Benjamin said.
http://blog.sfgate.com/techchron/2011/12/13/facebook-launches-new-suicide-alert-button/