Unfortunately, a bad example is contagious. Sometimes people, without saying a word, tend to imitate suicide, widely reported in the media. Today we will talk about this strange large-scale phenomenon, called the Werther effect.
The consequences of reading the famous novel
It started over two centuries ago. Variegatedly dressed young people appeared on the streets of cities all over Europe. A yellow vest, blue tailcoat and knickers could become a fashion trend. Progressive youth was impressed by reading the great Goethe's novel The Suffering of Young Werther. The work brought the author world fame. But who would have thought that people would want to copy not only the habits of clothing, but also the terrifying ending of the plot: in the final, the main character shoots himself in the head. Then the Werther effect as a phenomenon was not classified. This happened only two centuries later. And in the 70s of the XVIII century, the authorities in Germany, Denmark and Italy did not find anything better than to ban a great work, stopping to provoke impressionable youth to suicide.
Introduction of the term
Two centuries later, the American sociologist David Philips explored the causes of mass suicides that spontaneously occurred after reading Goethe's novel. Imitators of young Werther, like the main character, suffered from unrequited love and did not see the point in continuing to exist in this mortal world. The powerful message of the work made people to endure this story to the end.
However, young Werther’s syndrome after two centuries has not disappeared. David Philips launched an independent investigation. The scientist analyzed the details of 12 thousand suicides that were covered in television news, and came to a terrible conclusion. People really tend to copy suicide attempts, and it does not matter from what sources they learned about it: from literature, newspapers, news programs or television films. So in psychology a new term appeared - the Werther effect.
Why do mass suicides happen?
Mass suicide itself is by no means a new phenomenon. Vivid examples are found in history in all world cultures: the harakiri of Japanese samurai, the self-immolation of Old Believers, the suicide of Jews who did not want to become slaves in ancient Rome, and even the actions of suicide bombers today. However, all these suicides are dictated by a different, not imitative motive. These mass actions are dictated by ideology. The Werther effect is of a completely different nature. This is something beyond comprehension, but also the phenomenon has a powerful motive. For example, the desire to go into another world after the idol.
The brightest stars whose death served as an incentive for mass suicides
The most significant example can be considered mass poisoning as solidarity with the death of the beloved actress of the mid-twentieth century Merlin Monroe. Many people did not find the strength to survive the loss and joined her in their last decision. In recent history, memories of the death of the frontman of the Nirvana group, Kurt Cobain, are still fresh in the fans' memory. In April 1994, the musician was found dead on the floor of his own house with a shot through his head. With him, weapons and a suicide note were discovered . Needless to say, the leader of a cult rock band involuntarily doomed a lot of admirers of his talent to death. Young people regarded this act not as a desire to play with death or to draw attention to themselves, but as a sign of protest.
Actual problem of our time
If in the XVIII century the main "irritant" of impressionable youth was literature, then today there are more than enough reasons for parents to worry. The media relish every detail of the next high-profile incident, which they cannot outside cause outrage from a preoccupied and troubled public. So, for example, Roskomnadzor created a working group, which included prominent public figures, psychologists, publicists, journalists, as well as experts studying the problems of suicide. Russian public figures are preparing recommendations on the proper coverage of suicide in the media. Otherwise, the Werther effect can take the lives of more than one thousand people.
How to properly cover the tragic news
We remember the great effect the work of the great Goethe had on the youth of Europe. However, no one will hide the news, in the age of the Internet they will still leak into the masses. It is important to know how to properly cover the event. The details of suicide, coverage of reasons and motives are absolutely superfluous. Millions of people can have similar fates. And someone's suicide can become an instruction for action or be regarded as the only way out of a difficult situation. Why does imitation take place?
This is a serious psychological problem.
People who find themselves in difficult situations become depressed or experience the hardships of other mental disorders. They have no strength to fight or ask for help. In such a critical state, it is much easier to find out about the fate of a person who duplicates your fate, like two drops of water. Only this man has already found a way out ... Journalists who describe another case with intentional drama add fuel to the fire even more. Increased tones and excessive emotionality act on those who are desperate like a red rag on a bull.
Experts call on the media for restraint and unemotional
We already learned how the Werther effect works, now we learn how journalists should work in order not to provoke people to a fatal step. The expert council of Roskomnadzor offers to cover fatal events with restraint and concise. There should not be details of the action itself, which can become a detailed instruction for action for fans. The attitude of journalists and broadcasters should be serious and balanced. It is impossible to conduct a story on behalf of the victim, intentionally focusing on the gender and age of the suicide. According to statistics, Werther's syndrome increases the number of suicides of the same sex and age with the deceased. As you can see, the words that pour in a continuous stream from the news series of television have too powerful an effect.
The power of a word
Desperate people, especially adolescents, perceive news of suicide as an algorithm for action. However, modern reporters are too susceptible to sensations and ratings. But nobody canceled the psychology and impact of the power of words. According to the expert group, for every thousand residents in the situation that led to the suicide of the next "hero" of the news, there are three people. If the journalists themselves are poorly versed in psychology, it will not be superfluous for them to hire a full-time psychologist who will give recommendations on the proper coverage of the topic.
Psychological portrait of a follower
Now let’s take a closer look at the psychological portrait of a person who can follow the example of a famous suicide. What is the Werther effect in terms of determining the risk group? Here is a typical portrait of a man. He is unsure of himself, relies on other people's opinions and is used to being guided by his chosen role model in his actions . This person is led, it is easy to confuse or convince him. He trusts someone else's assessment more than his own perception of the situation. He has a weak willpower, and a sense of self-preservation is not developed in him.
Werther effect: recent examples
Here are some instructive examples from life. In the 80s, the television series Death of a Student was popular in Germany. Together with the opening credits in each new series, a scene was shown in which a student throws himself under the wheels of a moving train. Amazingly, in parallel with the show, law enforcement agencies noted a surge in identical suicides. Teenagers and students rushed under the train two and a half times more often than before the television series was released.
And here is another similar example. 30 years ago, in Austria, cases of suicide in the subway suddenly became more frequent. And then the employees of the Vienna Metro, together with the local Crisis Aid Center, took unprecedented measures. They stopped sending information to the media about another victim who decided to take her life in the subway. This worked, and suicide cases were reduced by a factor of three. Since then, the Austrian press no longer inflates sensations from someone else's tragedy. We will follow this example.