Free Republic

Suicide has overtaken cancer as the main cause of death among South Koreans in their forties for the first time since records began in 1983, amid growing concerns that the country is facing a mental health crisis. The country recorded 14,872 suicides last year – a 6.3 per cent rise from the previous year and the highest figure since 2011 – according to the latest “2024 Cause of Death Statistics” published by Statistics Korea on Thursday. While suicide has long been the leading cause of death among teenagers and people under 30, it became the top cause of death among...

Video games. 4chan. “Toxic masculinity.” These are just a few of the media’s favorite folk devils when it comes to assigning blame for mass shootings in America. However, there is startling evidence that the media itself plays a key role in perpetuating mass shootings. This might sound like a stretch, but it's supported by a well-established phenomenon of copycat suicides called the Werther Effect. While the media of other countries have put in place self-imposed industry standards for reporting tragedies, like suicides and mass shootings, the U.S. media does not. Mass shootings in the U.S. are sensationalized with detailed discussions...