The ObserverChildrenThe internet didn't kill Tallulah Wilson, but nor did it do much to help her
In the rush to blame websites for teenage suicides, we risk losing sight of the real causes of these deaths"Her eyes look sad," is one Twitter user's post beneath Tallulah Wilson's photograph. The image of a striking, unsmiling 15-year-old with disarmingly large eyes accompanies almost every article on last week's inquest into her suicide. We don't know when it was taken; perhaps Tallulah was perfectly content then. But for those who know that the schoolgirl's life ended on the tracks at St Pancras station in October 2012 after a battle with severe clinical depression, the image is haunting.
The photograph is not the only recurrent feature of the inquest's coverage: almost every article describes Tallulah's gift for ballet, her self-loathing diary entries and, bizarrely, the cost of her parents' Hampstead home. The word "tragic" is used a lot. In the face of such tragedy, we look for a reason. Tallulah was bright, young, privileged and talented – hardly the stereotypical "broken man on a bridge with nothing to lose". Yet in Tallulah's case, we appear to have quickly found something to blame. If Ask.FM was the teen suicide trigger of yesteryear, this year's digital smoking gun is Tumblr.
Often described as "edgy", it is one of the newer micro-blogging platforms. It's a sort of amalgamation of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, where users post and re-post images, write blogs and interact. Unlike Facebook, Tumblr is customisable, and users do not need to reveal their identity. The result is a greater focus on aesthetics, including quirky photography that often crosses the line separating "artistic" from "offensive". Thanks to extensive media coverage, many people are aware of the pro-anorexia movement. However, pro-suicide and pro-self harm sites still fly under most parental radars.
Tallulah Wilson was, according to her mother, addicted to these pages and would spend hours writing as her alter ego, a wild, "cocaine-snorting" drinker. Her blog amassed 18,000 followers who, Tallulah told her mother, "like me for who I am". When Mrs Wilson found images online of Tallulah sporting self-inflicted injuries, she banned her from the website while Tallulah banged her head against the wall and tore at her hair in rage.
Researching "pro-self harm" websites for this article was an unpleasant task. Several years ago, I kept a blog charting my recovery from mental illness. It contained few, if any, pictures. With Tumblr, one need only type "harm" into the search bar to find thousands of images of self-mutilation. Some are artistic, in black and white, featuring contorted, ethereal models romantically embodying beauty and misery. More alarming are amateur offerings with encouraging messages. "Sweet relief," say the scratches on one arm. "Remember the first time…"
It's nasty stuff. No one could argue that much of the content is long overdue for removal. In 2012, Tumblr vowed to remove pages promoting self-harm. Sadly, this process relies largely on users reporting offensive images to the website's administrators. With online communities eager to protect their right to support one another, there is still a vast and growing quantity of triggering content available.
As a young adult who grew up in the early days of the internet, I was made aware of the need to exercise responsibility and discretion. I am still careful to pass over unsavoury content and I avoid unmoderated forums. A child might not be so vigilant, particularly one who cannot remember a time when the internet was perceived as unfamiliar, dangerous territory.
Tallulah is not the only teenager to have taken her own life after reading enabling material online. In August last year, 14-year-old Hannah Smith took her own life having fallen victim to a prolonged online bullying campaign. Another 14-year-old, Ayden Keenan-Olson, used the internet to research the number of prescription pills he needed for an overdose. He was found dead by his mother in March.
However, correlation does not equal causation. Just as we cannot entirely attribute the actions of the rampaging gunman to his taste in video games, policing the online activity of depressed teenagers will not eradicate the cause of suicide: mental illness.
To attribute the deaths of these three teenagers solely to their internet browsing history is simplistic. That is not to say the "dark", "destructive" and "toxic" online world in which thousands of young people embroil themselves isn't damaging.
We cannot say with absolute conviction that, had the internet not existed, these young people would have done it anyway. But figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal a slight decline in the number of suicides among 15- to 19-year-olds since 1981. Tumblr was founded in 2007 and, it may seem callous, but one could ask why, with the sharp increase in such websites, suicide among teenagers has not risen accordingly.
The internet can be a wonderful resource for those with mental health problems. The promise of anonymity can encourage sufferers to seek help. Sadly, the "support" many are drawn to can be detrimental to those susceptible to self-destructive thoughts. However, no amount of online safeguarding can replace conversation in the real world.
Marjorie Wallace, CEO of mental health charity Sane, said: "Our study into self-harm shows that tolerance of state of mind can be more effective than interference and disapproval.
"Young people are more likely to move away from the negative seduction of these sites if they find real companionship and non-judgmental understanding. That is why it is so important to talk openly, to raise awareness in schools and at home, and to support families seeking help."
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