Suicidal expressions have been seen on Facebook before taking any further action. Last month, authorities in Pittsburg, Calif., said a man posted a suicide note on Facebook before he killed his wife and in-laws then himself. Facebook launched its live chat service to prevent suicides last week. The service will provide an instant messaging chat with the crisis counselor. The tracking system is not based on algorithms. The friends of the user with suicidal thoughts on their profile can report it to Facebook next to the comment. Facebook then sends an email to the person who posted the suicidal comment encouraging them to call the hotline or click on a link to begin a confidential chat.
Google and Yahoo show the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline numbers as the first result when anyone searches on suicidal topics. Facebook live chat is supposed to be more effective. "The science shows that people experience reductions in suicidal thinking when there is quick intervention," said Lidia Bernik, associate project director of Lifeline. “We’ve heard from many people who say they want to talk to someone but don’t want to call. Instant message is perfect for that." “One of the big goals here is to get the person in distress into the right help as soon as possible,” Fred Wolens, public policy manager at Facebook. The Lifeline crisis centre counselors will be available 24 hours for the live chat.
The initiative illustrates Facebook’s growing sense of responsibility for users’ lives.
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