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TECHNOLOGY Tuesday 9 May 2017

Suicide online: Facebook aims to save lives with new actions

JEFF MARTIN couldn’t discuss details of
Associated Press the Georgia case because
ATLANTA (AP) — The alarm- of privacy reasons, but said
ing video of a Georgia the company in March un-
teenager livestreaming veiled a series of initiatives
her own suicide attempt designed to help people
stayed up long enough on who go online and con-
Facebook Live for sheriff’s template suicide.
deputies to find and save Facebook is testing how
her — a repeat phenom- computers can quickly
enon that has prompted identify posts where it’s
mental health experts and likely someone is express-
Facebook’s CEO to further ing thoughts of suicide,
investigate how they can and provide resources to
use social media as a pos- the person even if some-
sible platform to help save one on Facebook has not
lives. reported it yet.
The 15-year-old girl took “It’s new ground, new ter-
pills and put a plastic bag ritory but really important,”
over her head during her said Dan Reidenberg, a
suicide attempt May 2, of- psychologist who is work-
ficials from the Bibb County ing with Facebook on the
Sheriff’s Office said. initiatives.
A sheriff’s sergeant found In this Tuesday, April 30, 2013, file photo, California Highway Patrol Sergeant Kevin Briggs poses by “Anytime we have an op-
the girl unresponsive - but the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. portunity to intervene, we
with a pulse - and she’s ex- Associated Press never know what the right
pected to recover. thing that’s going to be
In April, Facebook was “So a lot of what we’re try- Howard had a nephew ficers speeding to all three said by the right person
alerted to another possible ing to do is not just about who was friends with her on homes. She was found in a at the right moment is go-
suicide and made the de- taking the content down Facebook. bathtub at one of them. ing to be that saves some-
cision to keep the video but also about helping She immediately called “She was unresponsive, but one’s life,” said Reiden-
up, people when they’re in her nephew, who viewed one of our sergeants was berg, executive director
Facebook CEO Mark Zuck- need on the platform.” the video and let his aunt able to find a pulse,” How- of the Minnesota-based
erberg said in a confer- In Georgia, a viewer watch- know it wasn’t a prank. ard said, adding that the suicide prevention group
ence call last week. ing the teen’s livestream “It was very serious and we girl is recovering. SAVE.
That allowed law enforce- called 911. Only the teen’s needed to get to it right “I’m just happy that we Zuckerberg also an-
ment “to use that live vid- friends could view the vid- away,” she said. can give her back to her nounced that Facebook
eo to communicate with eo because of the girl’s Deputies got three possible family,” Howard said. will hire 3,000 more people
that person and help save privacy settings, but Bibb addresses for the girl from Facebook spokeswom- to review videos of crimes
their life,” he said. County sheriff’s Sgt. Linda her high school and sent of- an Andrea Saul said she and suicides.q

4 Madison schools block social media apps in pilot program

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Four way to redirect impression- at East High School as well book Live.” to students during class,
public schools in Madison able students’ attention to as Wright and Cherokee The schools were selected yet they are also a valu-
are preventing student ac- learning and away from Middle schools. West High due to their principals’ in- able resource to students
cess to some popular so- potential dangers. School is scheduled to start terest in the issue. District of- communicating with peers
cial media apps during the “We are looking for ways the program Monday. ficials said that in meetings and families without a
school day to test whether to continually improve “Our students who are held before the program data plan,” said Brigit Stat-
grades, student behavior our school climate and in- the most disengaged are began, most students un- telman-Scanlan, a senior
and school safety improve crease student learning,” typically the ones who are derstood why classroom at East. “Having Wi-Fi shut
with fewer online distrac- said Cindy Green, execu- stuck on their phones and distractions needed to be off during school and then
tions. tive director of curricu- walking the halls with their decreased and that they back on after school can
The pilot program shuts lum and instruction for the heads down,” East princi- appreciated the idea of solve some of these issues.”
down free Wi-Fi access to Madison School District. pal Mike Hernandez said. “I clamping down on apps to The program will run
apps, including Snapchat, “One way to do that is by call it the zombie walk, and prevent bullying. through the end of the
Facebook, Instagram, Twit- trying to reduce the use of unfortunately it can lead But some reactions to school year. Test results will
ter and 30 others, the Wis- cellphones and social apps to students making some shutting the system down include comparison be-
consin State Journal report- during the school day.” poor choices on social me- haven’t been positive. havior data and feedback
ed. The move is seen as a The program began May 1 dia with Instagram or Face- “Phones are a distraction from students.q