Reddit has long been a favored platform for people in emotional distress, with the subreddit r/SuicideWatch dating back to December 2008. Now, the company is taking a more active role in helping struggling users. On Wednesday, Reddit announced it will now automatically send any user with a post flagged for potential self-harm a message with a link to the Crisis Text Line, a text-based suicide prevention hotline.
Suicide among 10 to 24 year olds grew 56% between 2007 and 2017, according to the CDC. People are drawn to subreddits like r/SuicideWatch, r/depression, or r/addiction as a way of airing their experiences and finding other people who are feeling or have felt similar things. Subreddits are also attractive because of the anonymity Reddit provides and because posters don’t have to worry that someone will call emergency services if they speak freely. But this freedom is a blessing and a curse, since Reddit has not been able to intervene if someone appears likely to hurt…
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Source : fastcompany.com
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