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Teenage girl's suicide highlights toxic side of social media

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"A female colleague at a maid cafe where Tsukino had worked part-time was also targeted, with a YouTuber even posting a video of the girl being forced to kneel down and beg for forgiveness."

Beg forgiveness for what, exactly?

I've never understood people who think they are entitled to this kind of behavior, or the spineless employees who act in such a slavish manner.

27 ( +31 / -4 )

So it was not a case of cyber bullying, since she had already posted messages that she would commit. Meaning there was something else going on in her life before the "faker" comment appeared.

13 ( +15 / -2 )

I have stated over & over again - social media will be the downfall of our society.

I wouldn’t shed one tear if it was banned.

29 ( +32 / -3 )

Clearly there’s something else going on aside from cyber bullying. The headline should read “japans toxic bullying culture”.

22 ( +26 / -4 )

sorry, but killing yourself because of cyberbullying is just plain BS. because the simple solution is to just delete your account. no one forces anyone to have a twitter or FB account.

8 ( +24 / -16 )

if only people start living a real life and not take stupid social media so seriously. sad , all psychos use social media to bully and vent their own miserable frustrations. social media companies are responsible for such deaths.

11 ( +12 / -1 )

When you live on an island, and speak one language, your world is very small. The world is much bigger than it use to be 15 ~ 20 years ago, sad to see this young life end for such a very pity reason.

13 ( +16 / -3 )

Suicide is never the result of external actors, it is the result of unhealthy thinking patterns and a lack of coping strategies

Are you a psychologist to reassure that?

Do you know how important for such early stages of human being, children and teenagers, is to have a "good environment" in which you grow yourself enough confidence cuz you feel protected and loved in this world? Kinda "I've a safe space here somewhere to go..."

I believe this must be tackled by 2 sides, one is like you've said, invest on mental health awareness. The other one should be teaching at schools and homes that undermine and bully someone is never an option. That's simply can be called a violent act, in Japan, in Papúa Guinea or Brazil, e-ve-rywhere! And such acts could be taken to the justice.

Cooperation above competition, no? ....

There's so little social and emotional education in this world.... That's why there're many irresponsible adults living in society.

RIP to Noa Tsukino.. . She deserved to be listened and contemplated. I don't wanna talk on how japan still lacks of a psychological assistance

10 ( +13 / -3 )

Solution stop using social media and check back into reality the real world not the virtual world

10 ( +13 / -3 )

Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will break our hearts

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Problem with social media is the anonymity of the posters. Anybody can say nasty things or spread fake information that they would not dare say personally to their targets. Then there are the troll farms that some governments are maintaining to influence public opinion and boost a certain agenda.

Unless social media giants take concrete actions to curb fake accounts, their platforms would continue to be avenues for hate and toxic influence.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

I guess this generation never heard the old proverb about sticks and stones.

-6 ( +4 / -10 )

Being popular on social media comes with a price. Some people are going to hate you and attack you. It's not a walk in the park. If you cannot handle it then leave it.

Just remember people can be very nasty on-line and just let it go" Let it go"

I guess this generation never heard the old proverb about sticks and stones.

Suicide is never the result of external actors, it is the result of unhealthy thinking patterns and a lack of coping strategies. Invest in mental health care and teach kids how to treasure themselves.

sorry, but killing yourself because of cyberbullying is just plain BS. because the simple solution is to just delete your account. no one forces anyone to have a twitter or FB account.

Mother of god, I expected the usual victim-blamers to show up, but this is frankly disgusting. Two young women are dead and all anyone seems to be able to do is some Olympic-level mental gymnastics to justify how this was somehow their faults. "They used social media, so it's their fault". "They were idols, so they had it coming". "It's 'unhealthy thinking patterns', not bullying". "Oh, I guess no one taught them to 'treasure' themselves". "This generation needs to just toughen up".

Good Lord, and some of you wonder why people don't just 'get help'. Why on EARTH would anyone want to go and get help if THIS is the response they get? Of course they're just going to internalize the abuse and bottle up their feelings until the event horizon's crossed.

The lack of empathy for two dead women would be utterly stunning, if I wasn't already familiar with many of the posters on this board. My expectations for you all were low, and yet somehow you slid under a bar I'd placed on the floor.

Two young women are dead. DEAD. There are parents who now have to bury their children. @dmhondz has the right of it. Anonymity can lead to some nasty comments. This board is proof of that. Next time, maybe ask yourself - if you had to look these grieving parents in the face, would you just shrug and say "Guess they shoulda just toughened up"?

8 ( +15 / -7 )

Just get off the internet, easy.

-7 ( +8 / -15 )

Mother of god, I expected the usual victim-blamers to show up, but this is frankly disgusting. Two young women are dead and all anyone seems to be able to do is some Olympic-level mental gymnastics to justify how this was somehow their faults. "They used social media, so it's their fault". "They were idols, so they had it coming". "It's 'unhealthy thinking patterns', not bullying". "Oh, I guess no one taught them to 'treasure' themselves". "This generation needs to just toughen up".

Good Lord, and some of you wonder why people don't just 'get help'. Why on EARTH would anyone want to go and get help if THIS is the response they get? Of course they're just going to internalize the abuse and bottle up their feelings until the event horizon's crossed.

The lack of empathy for two dead women would be utterly stunning, if I wasn't already familiar with many of the posters on this board. My expectations for you all were low, and yet somehow you slid under a bar I'd placed on the floor.

Two young women are dead. DEAD. There are parents who now have to bury their children. @dmhondz has the right of it. Anonymity can lead to some nasty comments. This board is proof of that. Next time, maybe ask yourself - if you had to look these grieving parents in the face, would you just shrug and say "Guess they shoulda just toughened up"?

I think no one is victim blaming here. And I symphatize with the loss of those parents for this tragic event. I agree with you and I hate to admit it but I also have to agree with the other posts here for their opinions. Because it is the ugly truth about suicide related to cyberbullying. But taking ones own life is the same as murdering someone else whatever the reason that lead to it is evil in its own essence. These needs to be addressed first. As for someone who once contemplated to do the same during my so called "darkest times" but for other reasons, I was able to overcome those urges .WHY? Because there is so much more in life in store for us and everyone must be going through the same BS or even worst than what were going through. And If you care enough about your families and friends who love you then this is not the right escape to pain.

3 ( +11 / -8 )

I think no one is victim blaming here.

The comments I quoted above are absolutely blaming the victim. Want to know how I know? Because look at who they place the onus on. The girls should have let it go. The girls should have left social media. The girls should have expected these things. The girls should have toughened up. It wasn't external actors, it was the girls' unhealthy thinking patterns. Not a single one of those people suggested that maybe people shouldn't have been bullying them in the first place.

Imagine these comments being about a woman who was sexually assaulted. "Well, look at how she was dressed, she should've expected it". "If she didn't want to get assaulted, she shouldn't have gone to the party". "Maybe she should've just toughened up and fought back harder".

Imagine if you got robbed and the people around you just shrugged and went "You were carrying a wallet full of money. You should've seen it coming. You were asking for it, really."

These girls are dead because a deluge of people online were incapable of even basic human decency. And few people seem to be aiming their judgmental barbs at the people who were actually in the wrong.

-4 ( +7 / -11 )

sorry, but killing yourself because of cyberbullying is just plain BS. because the simple solution is to just delete your account. no one forces anyone to have a twitter or FB account.

And nobody is forcing bullies to bully. Be it online, in the real world, at work, school, social situations, sports etc.

Perhaps the bullies should be deleted, rather than the victims?

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

It seems like some people are emotionally fragile and shold not be online. If I commited suicide after getting negative comments about myslef I would be dead many times over and a long time ago.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

Another thing people can do is grow up and not rely on the approval of others to feel self-worth, and certainly not listen to some idiot you've never seen or met telling or daring you to kill yourself.

But I agree this is just as much society's fault. You have a society that thrives on bullying here, from the very top of government to the Joe Tanaka's kid on Twitter. Boss's make money off it, and they're not about to stop that. For police and others in power it assures abeyance, and they are not going to stop that. There's also the cultural suicide thing. I remember one poster on here saying when he hears "suicide" he thought "K-pop star", but since then there have been eight profile celebrities kill themselves here, some due to this very same bullying, and heaps upon heaps of little kids. We need to teach our kids to believe in themselves and ignore bullies, but it is difficult to do when it's the bullies in power and there are little to no consequences.

7 ( +10 / -3 )

Solution stop using social media and check back into reality the real world not the virtual world

If you do that you will be attacked on social media for not following Covid19 protocols.

>

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Yes there may be a failure in mental health care but I think the people in the wrong are the ones making horrible comments. I might be a strange human and finds it hard to wrap my brain around someone who would see someones video or picture and post something like 'you're ugly!'

 I don't understand how it's in anyway ok.  It should not be the norm.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

It seems like some people are emotionally fragile and shold not be online. If I commited suicide after getting negative comments about myslef I would be dead many times over and a long time ago.

Not all of us have the strength and fortitude that other posters claim to possess.

Fragility and/or a difficulty in overcoming bullies is not something to be dismissed with "well, I've been downvoted and I'm ok" style lines.

Some of the supposedly toughest and well-adjusted people I've known are no longer alive. Because (in some cases) maybe they were expected to be "tough" and it wasn't the done thing to share their fears? Who knows? Can't ask them now.

Let's try and focus on preventing bullying and calling it out if you see it on social media.

Even if one life is saved, it's a start.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

They simply learned the wrong things at schools and their parents obviously too.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

I guess this generation never heard the old proverb about sticks and stones.

Tell that to the families of those who are no longer with us. It's meaningless and insulting.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

If you expect the world to be fair with you because you are fair, you’re fooling yourself. That’s like expecting the lion not to eat you because you didn’t eat him.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Social media is online cancer, it spreads hate, and it is designed to breed arguments.

However, why are Japanese people's first instinct when there is a problem to just off themselves? I'm pretty sure there are other options in the range between Feeling hurt suicide.

So, maybe in Japan, moreso than social media, there is an older, more underlying major social problem that has been bred for generations, dealing with seniority, honor, dumb rules made by old people, and stigma of being close with family and friends to discuss issues.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

It might be best if some people did not use social media, no?

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Netizens soon directed their fury at those who had criticized Tsukino, in particular the commenter who had called her a "faker" on Twitter. The comment was subsequently deleted.

Well, those netizens should nip problems in the bud soon after they happen than go after the person after it is too late. If she had more supporters, she may have still been here. So many on social media have a herd mentality and gang up on others to get upvotes which equate to zero in real life. The internet gives losers power that they can't obtain from their parents' house.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

When does start bullying ?

Censorship lurking to its finest by the mind police. There are a few here ready to become members.

Parents should teach kids that what they read can be fake. If they don't, what else can we do ?

World is not all easy 100% the time.

Japan thinks harmony can exist forever. Not true. It is a balance. That is nature. Some people are different than you and seen as evil. If you don't agree then I cannot help you.

RIP because someone close to the girls could have helped them.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I unfortunately witnessed similar and personal cases during my high school days and drove the issue of cyber and physical bullying very clear to our school. In my case, I thankfully discovered the toxicity of social media during my middle school days and have restricted my exposure to it ever since, much to criticism and ridicule I received from my friends and coworkers. While I would also like to say that the easiest thing for someone being cyber bullied is to just go offline, just remember that those that get cyber bullied are those that actually go online the most and are most prone to it in the first place, making the cold turkey option not an option to them. I would also like to point that cyber bullying also happens to adults too. Unlike physical bullying which can be prevented by contacting authorities, cyber bullying is a lot trickier to prevent, especially in a culture where breaking the silence is looked down upon and fighting back even more so. No matter how strict laws get about this, resolving the culture of bullying is the most effective but most difficult to attain. to those being tormented, you can either fight back or just run away. Either which is better than just standing there and taking it.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Bullying didn't just start on SNS, it's inherent in many societies, has been for donkeys years at least now we are more aware of it. Hopefully put a stop to it

5 ( +5 / -0 )

I’ve deleted most social media apps to much hatred and negativity and ever since I’ve been so much more relaxed . People need to realise that you can turn off and switch out .

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Get off, or better yet, don't even bother to get on social media. Only reason why I even post on this (word will be censored) er, forum, is because I need to kill time on the commute.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

@saiaku, well said. There IS an underlying major social problem in Japan, and it's psychologically in-bred. I wish I could fix it, but I can't. I just shake my head with profound sadness when I read stories like this one. And like many of the posters here have said, social media is, in my opinion, one of the worst cancers in the world.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Not just social media but all media has divided & destroyed our societies.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Social media is representative of the devolution of western culture and society. It poses an insidious risk to younger generations.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The worlds biggest problem is the "MISUSE OF THE INTERNET" the only people who can control it is the facebooks, twitters, snap chap and the rest. If not these are the worst of the worst and they should be banned not the internet because they are 95% of the worlds problem. Young kids are influenced very easy and what they read and see on these platforms and has a lot to them growing up thinking this is what they should do.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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