Facebook is taking a leap into suicide prevention by introducing some new tools in its ecosystem. While you can report what you think is suicidal content here, this week Facebook will be rolling out an option inside of our post that lets viewers click “Report Post” on any post that seems dangerous or self harming. When the person who was “reported” logs in, Facebook will provide ways to contact the person who is concerned about their post or help them connect with suicide prevention specialists.
The social network has teamed up with mental health organizations Forefront, Now Matters Now, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and Save.org to make it easier for users to show their concern. The feature will be available initially to those in the US and Facebook says it will complete the rollout within the next couple of months. It’s also vowed to improve its tools for users in other parts of the world.
Here is a walkthrough of the process from cnet.com. Take a few minutes and click through their gallery. While many of my students have left Facebook, there are still enough using it that need to know this exists. I will be mentioning this feature in the near future…even if it is just a side comment in a message it is worth sharing.
