What’s less clear is the motivation behind these websites: Why would someone encourage others to kill themselves, often providing detailed instructions on how to do so? The relative anonymity of the Internet makes this question challenging to study. A 2015 study found that 20 percent of young adults with a history of suicidal self-harm had visited sites containing information on how to kill or hurt oneself, compared with just 3 percent of young adults more broadly. In a survey of 1,500 young people living in the United States, browsers who visited pro-suicide sites were 11 times as likely to report thinking about self-harm and seven times as likely to report having suicidal thoughts as were young people who hadn’t visited the sites. Research suggests these websites draw people, particularly youths, who are in distress. A more recent study compared the top suicide-related search results from 2007 to 2014, and found the proportion of sites providing factual information about suicide methods had tripled. The authors found that about 1 in 5 of these top hits were sites encouraging suicide or describing suicide methods. In a study published in 2008, researchers put phrases related to suicide (e.g., “How to kill yourself”) into search engines and examined the first 10 sites from each search. One site, for instance, advertises itself as “a place where people who are interested in suicide methods come together and discuss about suicide methods.” Yet a number of studies have raised concerns about websites that may encourage suicide and self-harm. Using the Internet to read about suicide can provide a beacon of hope, as much of the available content promotes prevention or resources for those in distress. Suicide-related information is readily accessible online. While suicide has long been a public health issue in the United States, leading to more than 40,000 deaths each year, mental health experts are just coming to grips with how the Internet influences suicide risk and prevention. The death of Gonzales is a frightening tale about dark corners of the Internet and the role it can play in the lure of suicide. In March, Gonzales checked in to a hotel room and drank a cup of poison, according to news accounts. Anonymous users told her it was okay to kill herself, lending her detailed advice on how to do it. It was a place where suicide was normal, or even encouraged. She had been suffering from depression and, in the following months, she often went to this website to talk about suicide. It would just be best if I would go away.”
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In January 2003, Suzanne Gonzales wrote to an online messaging group: “I cry for no reason, and I can’t help but feel that I’m bothering others with my whining.
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