With active use on social media platforms increasing by the year alongside suicidal deaths in the UK at a high - it is inevitable to put some blame on social media, especially Instagram, being at risk to peoples lives but can this be deemed the case?
According to the latest data from Samaritans Annual Report and Accounts, there has been 5,668 suicidal deaths in the UK throughout the year of 2016.
Overall total suicides in the UK each year:
2012 - 5,981 deaths
2013 - 6,233 deaths
2014 - 6,122 deaths
2015 - 6,188 deaths
2016 - 5,668 deaths
The figures state that there is a small decline of 5.23% suicide deaths from 2012 to 2016 which is maintaining it's figures fairly evenly over the years. However there is a significant difference between male and female suicides with the most noticeable difference in 2013 of 71.69%.
The figures from 2013 link to Adweek’s Instagram data analysis in 2013 holding 100 million users worldwide as opposed to 2012’s which was only 30 million.
Despite these figures being increasingly high over the time frame, there isn’t necessarily any correlation between Instagram users and suicidal deaths as it is seen to have the opposite effect as in 2016, Instagram worldwide user statistics were at 600 million with 14 million active users per month in the UK which coincides with the 2016 decreased suicidal rate of 9.06%.
Bayleigh Devane who started up her own Instagram page for her weight loss after feeling suicidal due to her health risks says: "Instagram has saved me. Without developments in social media like these (being able to make your own page) I wouldn’t have been able to visualise what I could become.
“I use the page to share my feelings and motivation for others to follow. It’s a great way to keep your mind occupied and rid of suicidal thoughts."
Instagram in the modern world can now be challenged as a positive therapy for potential suicide thoughts as there is many opportunities that come from posting such as Bayleigh’s example.
The Samaritans aim is to inevitably decrease the rate of suicide in the UK and Northern Ireland with their aim to make the service free to everyone by 2021.
For further information on their working together to reduce suicide scheme, visit: https://www.samaritans.org/about-us/our-organisation/our-strategy.
