By Natalie Waller–Suicide is always a tragedy. People of all ages may commit suicide but when it happens to a child or young adult it can be even harder to deal with.
People at those ages have so much life ahead of them and cutting it short because of one bad decision is a true tragedy. There may be signs of a suicide though, and people we need to be aware of these signs so they could possibly save someone’s life.
Recently a college student committed suicide and gave away hints and signs about it on her social media sites. The college now is looking into following their students’ social media activity in order to look for signs of depression that may lead to taking one’s life.
This may be a good idea, but is it getting involved too closely with the students’ lives?
Bobbi Meister, the personal counselor at Morningside College, spoke about her feelings on the topic. “I agree that hints can be made by students about suicide on these accounts, but feel that the school being a watchdog may not be the answer,” She said. Later in the interview, she added, “However, I do feel that as a college we need to educate our student body about suicide and the signs to watch for.”
Rachel Hulshof, a junior Morningside student, isn’t convinced colleges need to watch students’ social media. She said, “It may be a good idea in theory, but I think it may cause more problems than good.”
The college may have good intentions on helping people through matching what people say, but they could get tied in and invade privacy too much. Rachel also said, “It’s a privacy thing, I don’t need my college knowing everything going on in my life.”
Meister shared some signs that students may want to look for in their friends and fellow students. Neglect, isolation, changes in mood, complaints, and many other things may be a sign that a person may need some help and is thinking of taking their own life.
If your friend shows any sign that you are concerned about make sure to contact Resident Life, the college nurse, or Meister for more help.
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