Teenager commits suicide live online while 1,500 people watch, page 12

Okay, I've finally made it through 12 long pages to here.

1. To Hunkahunka - people are no doubt responding incredibly aggressively to you, because as I read it, your compassion is around about non-existent. People suicide for alot of different reasons, and I believe you have over-generalised the catagory of Suicidal.
You yourself have admitted to having to deal with a form of depression. I believe it was Seasonal Affective Disorder, which as it is implied, is not a constant permanent depression. It is a mood disorder. If you have suffered during your lifetime, with a severe depression, it is not reflected in your attitudes towards those who may be struggling with their own mental health. You may very well have no time for those who "wallow" in their own self-pity, and who do not appear to be doing anything constructive for themselves in regards to their mental health. You may have overwhelming true pity or sympathy for these left behind by the seemingly 'selfish' act of suicide. You have every right to your own opinions and thoughts.

However, that said. Nothing you have expressed in this thread has led me to believe that you have ever walked the steps of a true state of depression - for only in understanding, and feeling the true suffering of pain, do we form the seeds of compassion for others treading similar painful paths. We do not have to encourage or support a self-pitying individual or 'waste our time on them'. But where is our compassion and understanding of another human being's pain, or emotional crisis???

2. As far as the boy who would die with the audience. Of course he has my pity, and my compassion. My heart goes out to any family and friends he has left behind.

I do not believe anyone other than the boy himself was to "blame". You all are sitting next to a keyboard. You ALL have the ability to exit out of this screen at the push of a button. So too did this boy. If he did not want to listen or hear any of the cruel comments or actions of his online audience, then he had full command of his arms and fingers to exit the stage. Yes, it is loathsome that people would egg on another person to kill themselves. That said, has anyone considered the possiblity that he was seeking preciesly this type of negative reinforcement he apparently received on this website? If he wanted a crowd cheering him on towards death, as it appears he did, then he got his wish.

Regardless of this, the boy was alone in a room. There was no one holding a gun to his head. It was entirely his own decision and choice. The only 'accountable' person in this scenario is the boy himself. He picked up the pills, he put them in his own mouth - of his own free will, and he swallowed them. No one can argue this, as apparently there were over a thousand witnesses to the event.

I see no reason why anyone would be pressing charges or taking people to court over this. I do agree that notifying the police would have been a good idea. That the decent thing to do, would have been to seek help for him as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, if a person wishes to kill themselves, they will eventually do so. You can attempt to get them 'help', but as the saying goes "You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink."