South Korea makes efforts to lower its high suicide rate through apps that monitor social media use

Source: http://i.huffpost.com

While browsing the internet in South Korea, it is not uncommon to find forums or posts about suicide.  In some cases, an odd phenomenon is occurring where individuals struggling with depression are finding each other online and making "suicide pacts".  This specific type of suicide pact where strangers meet online and commit suicide at an agreed upon time is known as internet suicide.

It is important to note that an increased use of social media has been linked to symptoms of depression such as loneliness or lowered self-esteem.  In other words, the internet and social media seem to have a significant effect on South Korea's high suicide rate.

As the South Korean government has begun to strategize preventative measures, they are taking a close look at how the internet and social media are affecting the nation's suicide rate.

Study suggests that students' use of social networking sites increases their chances of suffering from depression 

Information source: http://www.slideshare.net

Data collected by the Korean Information Society Development Institute estimates that there are
approximately 7 million Koreans using SNS.  Furthermore, 61% of Korea's younger generation seems to be using or has used social networking sites.  This number has only increased over time.

Among Korea's most popular social networking sites are

• KakaoStory
• Facebook
• CyWorld
• Twitter

Studies have shown, however, that an increased amount of time spent on SNS can lead to addiction, depression, and loneliness.

A study published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology tested 180 college students to determine the relationship between Facebook use and depressive symptoms.  The results suggested that time spent on social networking sites, such as Facebook, is positively related to depressive symptoms including lowered self esteem.  Moreover, this lowered self esteem may be a result of an increased amount of social comparison as users spend more time on SNS.  Social comparison is essentially what occurs when someone compares their everyday life with the 'highlight' reel that is portrayed on someone else's social media.

This correlation between depressive symptoms and SNS activity seems to hold true in Korea as well; at the Kim Hyun Chul Mental Health Medical Clinic in Daegu, approximately half of its patients in their teens and 20s suffer from depression and other SNS related symptoms.

Not only does social media increase chances of depression, but the internet has also facilitated a way for Korean citizens to partake in, what are known as, suicide pacts.  Although the Korean government does not record how many of the nation's suicides are results of or aided by the internet, a sociologist at Korea Nazarene University, Kim Jung Jin, found that out of 191 suicide cases he analyzed, almost a third involved a suicide pact.

Negative effects of social media may be particularly dangerous to South Korea's highly competitive environment

Over the past generation, South Korea's suicide rate has nearly quintupled.  Despite being a beacon of advancement and modernization in the east, South Korea has struggled with its uniquely high rate of suicide.

With a rate of 29.1 per 100,000 people, the small developed country has the second highest suicide rate in the world (first amongst developed nations).  Among Korea's citizens, students and young people have proven to be particularly high risk victims.

Korea's high rate of depression and suicide is a result of a multitude of factors.  Both social stigmas and cultural norms contribute to the high stress environment that ultimately leads to suicide.  These aspects of Korean culture can trace its roots back to Korea's Confucianist background as well as to its rapid pace of modernization.

In Korea, there is an unspoken pressure to preserve one's dignity and stoicism is a highly valued trait.  Essentially, this pressure to uphold one's image translates into a social stigma against openly discussing one's emotional problems.  Korean culture and language TA at the University of Maryland, Kelly Kim, says that one of the reasons depression is so high in Korea is due to the fact that emotions are often suppressed.

As a result of regarding emotions as a very private matter, it seems that there is a social stigma against seeing a therapist as well as a lack of general knowledge pertaining to depression and mental health.  Kelly Kim notes that seeing a therapist can also jeopardize one's career path.  

Additionally, one of the biggest sources of pressure for young students is the extremely competitive education system.  

When asked to reflect upon his education experience, current Yonsei University student, Seung geon Lee, said that "in Korea, from elementary school to middle school to high school, all your efforts of studying are so you can get into college.  In Korea, it is believed that what college you go to determines your life's success.  Even more, you are constantly compared to your peers [...] class rankings go from first to last and are posted for everyone to see."

Thus, students are put under an extreme amount of pressure and are instilled with the values of harsh competition and comparison.

Lastly, a large value is placed in a person's physical appearance and the same can be said about socioeconomic status.  As Kim had mentioned, success is measured in achievement and achievement is often measured by material goods.  Essentially, this focus on outwardly characteristics and material belongings makes social media particularly dangerous in regards to social comparison.

All of these factors in conjunction essentially creates an environment in which the negative effects of social media may be particularly dangerous and possibly life-threatening.

Social media and internet use habits may be helpful in forecasting suicide 

The Public Library of Science published a study that suggests that monitoring social media activity

Source: http://rhondahurwitz.com

and collecting data may be helpful in detecting depression and even preventing suicide.  By comparing social media posts and completed suicides in Korea from 2008 to 2010, the study found that those with depression were found to be more likely to post or search suicide related blogs.

These results seemed to coincide with those of a study done by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).  By observing the web behavior of 55 Korean college students, it was found that the more depressed an individual is, the more they will read tips and facts about depression on Facebook.  Ultimately, the study suggested that Facebook activity can be used to identify depressed individuals.

Using this knowledge, the Korean government seems to be making efforts to lowers its high suicide rate by observing social media habits.

Korean Education Ministry works on promoting app to prevent student suicide by monitoring social media use

South Korea's government has recently sponsored the development of suicide preventing apps.  The main function of these downloadable apps will be to monitor students' messages, internet searches, and social media posts.  If any warning signs, specifically words related to depression or suicide, are detected then the app notifies the child's guardian.  Hopefully, then parents will be able to consult medical professionals and figure out a method of treatment for their children.

Seeing as previous studies have suggested that social media data can be useful in forecasting suicide before it happens, it is understandable why the Korean government developed this kind of app.  Critics like Kelly Kim argue, however, that until the stigmatization of depression is reduced, this app will not be very effective.

Perhaps instead of an app that latently monitors social media and internet use, South Korea could benefit from making an app that incorporates more proactive and educational features.  My3, an American developed app, focuses more on user interactivity and promoting mental health awareness.

My3's main features include:

Source: http://www.my3app.org/

• creating a support system of 3 contacts the user feels safe talking to
• building a personal safety plan by identifying personal warning signs and coping strategies
• providing important resources (ex: information on nearby support groups, videos/infographics on mental health, etc.)
• providing easy access to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Since seeking a therapist or psychoanalyst is so stigmatized in Korea, these features may be particularly appealing to Koreans because it gives users more control of accessing resources on their own.

Although developing an app may be a step in the right direction, it seems South Korea should shift its current focus of the app's function.  In order to more effectively tackle the issue of teen suicide, the government should work towards the goal of promoting mental health awareness and opening up the conversation on depression.

Since many Koreans seem to be using technology to discuss their depression and thoughts of suicide, it would make sense to develop technology that provides reliable information and resources.

Although it is an unfortunate phenomenon that Korea's unusually high suicide rate is negatively impacted by technology, the country has the potential to bring something positive out of it.  If successful, using technology to combat the issue of teen suicide and depression could inspire movements in mental health awareness around the world.

Growing use of Facebook vetting in employment process gives rise to companies like Social Intelligence Corp.

Source: http://www.theweb3.com

A study conducted on 357 undergraduate students in the Northeast suggests that users find themselves to be less susceptible to the negative effects of Facebook than others are.  The anonymous survey results were based on Facebook's negative effects on personal relationships, employment, and privacy.  With these categories in mind, respondents estimated the damage to be greater on younger people, their network of friends, and Facebook users in general than on themselves.

The Third Person Effect (TPE) hypothesizes that people have high perceptions of themselves and as a result, believe they are the immune to the negative effects of media that impact others.  Although this study supported the TPE, it was unable to determine the relationship with TPE and pro-regulatory attitudes towards Facebook.

It was found that only specific cases and groups were able to predict pro-regulatory attitudes.  Those who believed Facebook use jeopardized the future employment of younger people, for example, and women were both more likely to support regulating Facebook.

Research has already been conducted to suggest that Facebook is capable of harming real-life personal relationships, privacy, and employment opportunities; thus, most people are already aware of the dangers of social networking sites (SNS).  What made this specific research unique was how it explored the extent to which people perceived the dangers based on others versus self.

The growing use of social media has opened the floodgates for the negative behavioral effects on society.  If everyone believes that they are insusceptible to the detrimental effects of Facebook the more they may be susceptible to it.  With recent trends of Facebook use in youth, this third perceptual gap may have negative connotations on privacy and employment.

Although teens are choosing private Facebook settings, the amount of personal information they share and who they share it with is increasing

 A Pew Research Center study has shown that between 2006 and 2014, the amount of teens who shared photos of themselves, their school name, their hometown, email address, and cell phone number have all increased.  Furthermore, older teens are more likely to share a larger amount of personal information and have substantially larger friends lists.  One out of three teens are friends with people they have never even met in person.

In regards to privacy settings, 60% of teen Facebook users were found to have private profiles that
only their friends could see, 25% had partially private profiles that friends and those who have mutual friends can see, and 14% of respondent had completely public profiles.

Yet, only 9% of students were found to be highly concerned about their their internet privacy.

Interestingly enough, a majority of Facebook users boasted of having high confidence in their privacy management abilities yet only 18% of teens claimed to have gone beyond general security settings.  What this means, is that they did not customize specific settings like adjusting which friends can see which information.  In this way, all of their friends have the same full access to their profile.

Perhaps it is that young users do not understand the extent to which online privacy can affect them
or perhaps they are convinced that they are being safe despite making questionable decisions of privacy. Regardless, as they begin to head into the career world, they may find themselves at risk because of their use of SNS.

Survey suggests that 37% of employers use Facebook to look into job applicants

Source: http://a57.foxnews.com

A survey of about 2,140 hiring managers and human resource professionals revealed that 51% of the
surveyed employers who do use online background checks found material on social media that cost applicants a job offer.  This includes material containing alcohol consumption, racist remarks, and bad mouthing a previous coworker or employee among other things.

It seems the trend has shifted away from the traditional application process and has now incorporated a more holistic (or invasive) method of getting to know the applicant.

Although the issue is generally talked about as a tale of caution, SNS can also be used as a tool in the application process.

Source: http://www.listonsocial.com

Employers are not only looking for warning signs of a bad candidate, they are also looking for job
qualifications that may not come across on a resume or can be corroborated through social media.  33% of employers claimed to have found information on SNS that made them more likely to hire a potential applicant.

With the help of privacy settings and thoughtful execution, applicants can use their Facebook as a glowing addition to their application through displaying professionalism, a wide range of interests, or even interest in the company's social media accounts.

Since social media has become an increasingly useful tool in the hiring process, companies have been established to make the process more efficient and effective.


Social Intelligence Corporation sifts through social media and offers third-party risk reports to companies and organizations

For information that employers do not necessarily have access to, Social Intelligence Corp. cross-examines applicant data and social media activity to determine:

Source: http://www.socialintel.com

• alcohol and drug use
• online presence
• social connections
• sentiment
• purchasing behavior
• corroborative data
• life events
• professional achievement
• undisclosed activities

This information is then compiled into a profile, with a social score, which is then given to the company or organization to deliberate.

This investigation of internet presence is not limited to individuals but can also be used to vet entire
organizations.  Another application of Social Intelligence Corp. involves authenticating the identity of individuals.

Social media has just begun to play a bigger role in our lives and with the expansion of companies like Social Intelligence Corporation; how we present ourselves on the internet will have a larger impact than simple judgment within our immediate social circle.  As a result, privacy settings and personal judgment will have to be paid more closely attention to.

Teens affected by the Third Person Effect in terms of privacy may have to be particularly careful when it comes to managing their profiles with regards to their future employment opportunities.

Snapchat's popularity domestically and internationally is one of the greatest of all photo sharing apps

A Disney Revival? Disney announces a lineup of sequels of beloved movies to be released within the next two years.

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I would share this info with my social net because it is something that I am excited about and believe that my friends on social networks would be excited about as well.  The people that I am connected to on my social networks are generally people around my age and were therefore affected by similar influences growing up, such as Disney movies.  This is the kind of good news that I would like to share and spread to people that I know.

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