"Werther Effect" and the Media

A professor writes about the "Werther effect" in the Catholic Times column — Let us Become One. 

 

The Werther Effect refers to the identified rise in suicide rates following well-publicized reports of deaths by suicide of celebrities or other well-known figures in society.

 

It happened shortly after the death of a well-known comedian. The professor talked to a celebrity by chance. After a long conversation, he asked whether there were special reasons for suicide that only celebrities have. He also asked whether there are special difficulties unique to ordinary people and celebrities. The celebrity looked puzzled at his question and said: "Celebrities are just like ordinary people. They are not suicide because they are celebrities, they are dealing with difficulties like everyone else." His question was poorly formulated and he was embarrassed.

 

After that, he thought celebrities, like all of us, could only be healthy if they had support around them. To do that, he thought celebrities should be able to balance their activities with normal lives. This includes frequent meetings with family and friends.  It also includes time to relax, learn, and prepare for the unexpected non-celebrity period along with celebrity activities. 

 

These are also the contents that entertainment agencies should support by signing reasonable contracts with their celebrities. The public also needs to understand entertainers as professional artists and show restrained interest rather than calling them public figures and demanding excessive responsibility.

 

Celebrities themselves need to realize that 'celebrity's life' or 'celebrity role performance' is not everything in their lives. If one's life is completely devoted to being a celebrity, and the dreamy 'celebrity life' isn't possible, a real-life or alternative life isn't considered, a severe identity crisis may arise. Celebrity is a highly variable job, one should be prepared to switch and move freely at any time.

Regarding celebrity suicide, we talk about the Werther effect. Strictly speaking, there is no clear causal relationship between celebrity suicides and imitation suicides.

Media coverage (including Internet sites and social media) of celebrity suicide rather than celebrity suicide itself affects the public more and plays a role in potential suicide imitation.

 

The media frequently reports the death of a celebrity and the shock it arouses around them. They seem to promote the Werther effect or even confirm the Werther effect, saying: "Since Mr. OOO’s death, suicide continues."

In fact, people at risk of suicide tend to sympathize more than the general public when hearing reports of celebrity suicide. However, they are reluctant to be recognized as someone who would commit suicide under the influence or after someone else. Rather, media reports can be a very serious problem in that they have a suggestive effect that causes suicidal thoughts in people who have not usually had suicidal thoughts.

The media must not use celebrity death for its own commercial gain. The original role of the media is to refrain from detailed and stimulating suicide reports and to provide information and introduce  those at risk of suicide to abandon their own thoughts and look at the situation from a different perspective.