Slashdot Mirror
Internet Suicide Pacts Surge in Japan
darkmonkeh writes "The number of Japanese who killed themselves in online suicide pacts rose sharply last year, according to the BBC. Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, and the pacts may appeal to those scared to die alone. These Japanese internet 'suicide clubs' accounted for at least 26 deaths in the last 2 months."
True, but is it a trend on the rise? If so, maybe they can nip it in the bud.
Hate to have to inject the voice of reason into this, but...
Why?
These people kill themselves for a reason.
They live in a place where they have no value as an individual, where society expects them to work themselves literally to death, and "urban sprawl" has gone the way of wall-to-wall carpeting.
I'd probaby want to escape that, too!
It really disturbs me that, at the same time our population keeps rising on an exponential curve, we still cling to archaic notions of the "sacredness" of every life.
Sacred? No. Worthless. Japanese society has just caught on to that idea realtively earlier than the rest of us. Perhaps it has something to do with their stereotypical obsession with honor and accepting suicide as an honorable way out of any problem, but they have the right idea. How do you deal with overpopulation? Encourage death.