Even without peers to turn to, there are still other support outlets. Professional help on campus is always an option, but do students actually utilize this resource? Statistics show that only “of the 1,404 college students who died by suicide between 1990 and 2004, only 23 percent had been seen at a college counseling center” (Cukrowicz 575). The sad truth of the matter is that many students choose to suffer in silence rather than simply reach out for help. In a study conducted by the Journal of American College Health, 165 students participated in an extensive web-based questionnaire to find out the “self reported barriers to professional help seeking among college students who are at an elevated suicide risk” (Czyz 398). The results that
…show more content…
With the recent explosion of technology, the use of social networks such as: Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, have become the norm. In May of 2015, ESPN published an eye-opening article entitled “Split Image.” Madison Holleran, a track star at the University of Pennsylvania seemed to have it all. People assumed she was living a perfect life, until the day she jumped off nine-story building. Her death shocked everyone. Madison’s friends and family had seen no clear indicators or warning signs that something was awry. Of course, how could anyone have seen it coming? Madison frequently posted pictures to Instagram, showing snip-its of her life. A portrait of her close-knit family, a snapshot mid-way through a race, and a beautiful selfie, all conveyed the image that she was living the ideal life of a teenage girl. The article’s writer, Kate Fagan, expresses her thoughts on the issue: “Everyone presents an edited version of life on social media. People share moments that reflect an ideal life, an ideal self.” In hindsight, her friends are able to see that Madison was heavily absorbed in how others perceived her. This began the obsession to live up to the false image she had created for herself. Those close to Madison see this as a major factor in her demise. Alongside Madison, many other young adults around the world feel the psychological toll related to social media. Shame and low self-esteem have …show more content…
How does it all fit together? The research I have conducted leads to one conclusion: someone who is raised in an unhealthy setting and carries a genetic predisposition to mental illness, faces the potential for disaster, when placed in the chaotic and stressful environment of higher education. Furthermore, when an individual of this nature avoids seeking help, alternatively, minimizing their problems and taking a path of isolation, they put themselves at great risk. The paper’s overall conclusion may seem fairly logical and intuitive, but why then, do people remain blind to the crux of the issue? Although we live in a world where any answer is at the tip of our fingertips, I believe that the truth is too scary for many people to accept. Acknowledging the web of factors and influences tied to suicide also means acknowledging that we may never find an exact answer to why or how it happened. Rather than face a lack of closure, many people will desperately look for the quickest answer they can find. However, these individuals are merely deceiving themselves, for there are countless factors behind such a heartbreaking act. These factors brew and intensify over time, and in the end, those who make the fatal decision to end their lives, are simply victims of a perfect
With the recent explosion of technology, the use of social networks such as: Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, have become the norm. In May of 2015, ESPN published an eye-opening article entitled “Split Image.” Madison Holleran, a track star at the University of Pennsylvania seemed to have it all. People assumed she was living a perfect life, until the day she jumped off nine-story building. Her death shocked everyone. Madison’s friends and family had seen no clear indicators or warning signs that something was awry. Of course, how could anyone have seen it coming? Madison frequently posted pictures to Instagram, showing snip-its of her life. A portrait of her close-knit family, a snapshot mid-way through a race, and a beautiful selfie, all conveyed the image that she was living the ideal life of a teenage girl. The article’s writer, Kate Fagan, expresses her thoughts on the issue: “Everyone presents an edited version of life on social media. People share moments that reflect an ideal life, an ideal self.” In hindsight, her friends are able to see that Madison was heavily absorbed in how others perceived her. This began the obsession to live up to the false image she had created for herself. Those close to Madison see this as a major factor in her demise. Alongside Madison, many other young adults around the world feel the psychological toll related to social media. Shame and low self-esteem have …show more content…
How does it all fit together? The research I have conducted leads to one conclusion: someone who is raised in an unhealthy setting and carries a genetic predisposition to mental illness, faces the potential for disaster, when placed in the chaotic and stressful environment of higher education. Furthermore, when an individual of this nature avoids seeking help, alternatively, minimizing their problems and taking a path of isolation, they put themselves at great risk. The paper’s overall conclusion may seem fairly logical and intuitive, but why then, do people remain blind to the crux of the issue? Although we live in a world where any answer is at the tip of our fingertips, I believe that the truth is too scary for many people to accept. Acknowledging the web of factors and influences tied to suicide also means acknowledging that we may never find an exact answer to why or how it happened. Rather than face a lack of closure, many people will desperately look for the quickest answer they can find. However, these individuals are merely deceiving themselves, for there are countless factors behind such a heartbreaking act. These factors brew and intensify over time, and in the end, those who make the fatal decision to end their lives, are simply victims of a perfect