Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: I'm 15, won a grant to develop a suicide prevention app, what next?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

91–100 of 161 posts

Re: Ask HN: I'm 15, won a grant to develop a suicide prevention app, what next?

#91

Post by EdwardDiego »

itistoday2 wrote: post #86
EdwardDiego wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Way to dump your own depressive tendencies on a 15 year old. Jesus.

Way to dump your own depressive tendencies on a 15 year old. Jesus. ^-- A perfect example of the ignorance that I mentioned, thank you. To Krish: remember, people who contemplate suicide are constantly faced with such ignorance, and so in the cultures where such attitudes are common, suicide happens unexpectedly (and this is most of the world). Then people "wish they could have said how much they loved them", etc. et…

Ignorance? Oh my. Unfortunately, I satisfy your criteria required for understanding suicide, so I vehemently disagree with your assertion that "Suicide is a very rational reaction to life."

Especially when we're discussing teenagers, who haven't even lived one fifth of their expected lifespan.

Re: Ask HN: I'm 15, won a grant to develop a suicide prevention app, what next?

#92

Post by krrishd »

itistoday2 wrote: post #86
EdwardDiego wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Way to dump your own depressive tendencies on a 15 year old. Jesus.

Way to dump your own depressive tendencies on a 15 year old. Jesus. ^-- A perfect example of the ignorance that I mentioned, thank you. To Krish: remember, people who contemplate suicide are constantly faced with such ignorance, and so in the cultures where such attitudes are common, suicide happens unexpectedly (and this is most of the world). Then people "wish they could have said how much they loved them", etc. et…

I understand your view point, and will keep it in mind while designing the app.

Re: Ask HN: I'm 15, won a grant to develop a suicide prevention app, what next?

#93

Post by itistoday2 »

EdwardDiego wrote: post #91
itistoday2 wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Way to dump your own depressive tendencies on a 15 year old. Jesus. ^-- A perfect example of the ignorance that I mentioned, thank you. To Krish: remember, people who contemplate suicide are constantly faced with such ignorance, and so in the cultures where such attitudes are common, suicide happens unexpectedly (and this is most of the world). Then people "wish they could have said how much they loved them", etc. et…

Ignorance? Oh my. Unfortunately, I satisfy your criteria required for understanding suicide, so I vehemently disagree with your assertion that "Suicide is a very rational reaction to life." Especially when we're discussing teenagers, who haven't even lived one fifth of their expected lifespan.

> Unfortunately, I satisfy your criteria required for understanding suicide, so I vehemently disagree with your assertion that "Suicide is a very rational reaction to life."

OK, you're certainly entitled to your opinion and to disagree with mine.

Especially when we're discussing teenagers, who haven't even lived one fifth of their expected lifespan.

It was only a short time ago that it was common in Europe and elsewhere for 15 year olds to be starting families.

Today, many 15 year olds (and younger), commit suicide.

What exactly are you seeking to accomplish by emphasizing his age and your arbitrary requirement on what the "right amount of life" is?

Re: Ask HN: I'm 15, won a grant to develop a suicide prevention app, what next?

#94

Post by itistoday2 »

krrishd wrote: post #92
itistoday2 wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Way to dump your own depressive tendencies on a 15 year old. Jesus. ^-- A perfect example of the ignorance that I mentioned, thank you. To Krish: remember, people who contemplate suicide are constantly faced with such ignorance, and so in the cultures where such attitudes are common, suicide happens unexpectedly (and this is most of the world). Then people "wish they could have said how much they loved them", etc. et…

I understand your view point, and will keep it in mind while designing the app.

+1 :)

Re: Ask HN: I'm 15, won a grant to develop a suicide prevention app, what next?

#96

Post by saturdayplace »

throwsaway wrote: post #51
saturdayplace wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find your reaction... odd? He's won a grant to develop a tool that has the potential to help out people with a real problem. Why should that disgust anyone?

Suggesting to anyone serious about suicide that an app will help is insulting. You have to be naive and unwilling to understand or a megalomaniac to think an app will help.

I'm definitely willing to be labeled naive. Would suggesting a call to a suicide hotline be as insulting? What if the app carries out similar functions as a hotline? Please, I'm not trying to troll, just trying to understand why the idea of this app is so repugnant.

Also, while this specific app may not be able to help, doesn't it seem at least possible that some app, some day might? It seems prematurely dismissive to write apps off as wholly ineffectual. Unless suicide is a case where you're likely to do more harm than good?

Re: Ask HN: I'm 15, won a grant to develop a suicide prevention app, what next?

#97

Post by krrishd »

throwsaway wrote: post #38

Suicide prevention /app/? You don't stop suicide with an app. You're 15 and you have a grant for a gimmick. I'm 22 and I'm unemployed. I'm already depressed but this makes me angry, too, so I just made an account to let you know that this disgusts me. Empty words. At least your resume looks better with this.

I'm sorry that his makes you feel this way.

1. I am in no way experienced with suicide, I just thought this idea up for a contest, but it actually won, and I felt the obligation to at least try to make it a reality.

2. This app is not really aimed at people already dealing with severe stages of depression, many organizations and suicide hotlines are already doing that well. This is more towards people only starting to feel issues that could worsen to lead to suicide, catching the issue early on.

Again, sorry if that's how it seems, but I'm just trying to help out in any way that I could possibly.

Re: Ask HN: I'm 15, won a grant to develop a suicide prevention app, what next?

#98

Post by harvestmoon »

The response to this post surprises me a bit. Suicide prevention is a great idea. But as described, it really isn't explained well enough to capture my imagination.

There's very little description of what it would do beyond that it's an app and it prevents suicide. And that it's a social network. That really isn't enough to describe the idea.

I can see the possibility of a social network site for depressed people.

Dunno. It's a big goal, but very hard, and I think it's extremely important to take into consideration the mentality of someone who is considering suicide.

Good luck.

Re: Ask HN: I'm 15, won a grant to develop a suicide prevention app, what next?

#99

Post by flippmoke »

Xeoncross wrote: post #69
tokenadult wrote: post #36

You are working on something important, and I was glad to read (and upvote) a lot of the other comments you received, and especially the offers for pro-bono help. One comment below suggested that you read the literature (I presume that means the literature about suicide prevention) and I would second that advice. To expand that advice a bit, I'll note that Martin E. P. Seligman and some other psychologists who have s…

"the "self esteem" movement that took over United States schools after I graduated from high school may have actually INCREASED risk of suicide in the United States" Yes, "self esteem" is again putting the individual up directly in front of themselves to examine and focus on which only brings existing problems into sharp center-focus. Depression and Pride both have a common denominator in too much self-absorption.

This is one of the most common misconceptions in my opinion of depression. Depression is not caused by self absorption. Depression is not vanity, imagine someone who has been rejected by a loved one. A depressed person might think, "I was never good enough for them," while a person who is not depressed might think, "I learned a lot and will do better next time." Viewing them as selfish or self absorbed is completely wrong. Do you think the depressed person wants to feel like they are not good enough? Is non depressed person self absorbed for their thinking?

Re: Ask HN: I'm 15, won a grant to develop a suicide prevention app, what next?

#100

Post by saturdayplace »

ancarda wrote: post #54
saturdayplace wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find your reaction... odd? He's won a grant to develop a tool that has the potential to help out people with a real problem. Why should that disgust anyone?

Does he have any experience with suicides? Has he lost anyone or felt suicidal himself? People who have know how difficult it is. The app was described as a "social network". As someone who has experience with suicide (both from my perspective and from losing people), I have to question what a difference that will make. How exactly does it work? If he can't explain, perhaps a mockup of the UI might answer a lot of qu…

So, it's probably not realistic to assume this particular app will help. The chance that it will make an actual difference is probably pretty low. Is that reason enough to dismiss the idea? Or to dismiss "apps" entirely as a possible tool for helping suicidal people? I said this below, but unless suicide is an area where you have more potential to cause harm than to do good, it seems like a worthwhile direction to spend resources.
Post reply on HN