Suicide is now the 10th leading cause of death in the United States
Every year, nearly 45,000 Americans die of suicide. While middle-aged white men make up the vast majority of suicides with 7 out of 10 deaths, a large portion of these deaths is attributed to Generation Z, the population demographic born between 1995 and now.
This state of affairs has affected them – and not for the better. As Twenge explains in a report for The Atlantic:
Psychologically… they are more vulnerable than Millennials were: Rates of teen depression and suicide have skyrocketed since 2011. It’s not an exaggeration to describe iGen as being on the brink of the worst mental-health crisis in decades. Much of this deterioration can be traced to their phones… There is compelling evidence that the devices we’ve placed in young people’s hands are having profound effects on their lives—and making them seriously unhappy.
“I want to be the biggest entertainer in the world,” he once told Business Insider. “That’s my deal. I’ll do whatever it takes to get that. As many hours as is needed.”
Paul’s dreams of superstardom are threatened after this week, however, when he took one of his pranks to such a distasteful, disgusting level, he got the entire internet up in arms.
Paul had been on a tour of Japan, where he had been criticized for mocking the country’s culture during his daily 15-minute videos.
“Literally this place is content gold,” he said at the end of one of his first few videos there.
Paul had decided to visit Aokigahara and highlight its “haunted” aspect. In fact, he wrote on Twitter the day before he posted the video of the forest – “tomorrow’s vlog will be the craziest and most real video I’ve ever uploaded.”
Paul and his cohorts were filming in the forest when they came upon a body hanging from the trees. Paul called to him and asked someone to call the police. Then, however, he began to make light of the situation.
“This is a first for me. This literally probably just happened,” he said of the person, whose face is blurred in the video.
Off camera, one of his cohorts says: “I don’t feel good.”
“What, you never stand next to a dead guy?” Paul replies.
“No,” his friend replies.
At this point, Paul bursts into laughter.
Then, he says, “It was gonna be a joke. This was all a joke. Why did it become so real? Depression and mental illnesses is not a joke. We came here with the intent to focus on the haunted aspect of the forest. This just became very real.”
People on social media weren’t buying his shtick, however. The backlash was immediate and intense, although the video had been watched millions of times. Online video personality Anna Akana lost her sister, Kristina, to suicide 10 years ago and she did not hold back.
Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul was also quick to lambast Paul for his video, saying via Twitter, “I can’t believe that so many young people look up to you… Suicide is not a joke.”
Dear @LoganPaul,
How dare you! You disgust me. I can’t believe that so many young people look up to you. So sad. Hopefully this latest video woke them up. You are pure trash. Plain and simple. Suicide is not a joke. Go rot in hell. Ap — Aaron Paul (@aaronpaul_8) January 2, 2018undefined
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people that can choke in 2018
– jake paul – logan paul – lele pons – onision – Donald trump – anyone else problematic that only ever bring negativity to this earth — cait // 140 (@tenderhowell) January 2, 2018undefined
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I always hated Logan Paul. Logan Paul is pure garbage. How that piece of shit has any fans disturbs and baffles me. Can this guy just go away already and be forgotten forever?
— MARVEL™ (@MarvelCinephile) January 2, 2018undefined
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can people stop playing on the fact that « error is human » about the whole Paul Logan thing ?
Yeah error is human, so maybe his mistake was to film during his discovery but EDITING the video, PUTTING IT ONLINE, and EVERYTHING ELSE are not errors. pic.twitter.com/zHJdyFxo86 — coralie♡hyunbin (@OFFlClAL_JBJ) January 2, 2018undefined
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Laughing during terrible events is not uncommon, it’s an odd coping mechanism. It’s more like you’re in total disbelief. However laughing while filming yourself and a victim who was suffering and now deceased AND POSTING IT, boy that is fucked up Paul Logan. Get help
— ❄️Shay (@Shaynaeli) January 2, 2018undefined
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Things that we should leave behind this 2018:
-homophobia -racism -colorism -body shaming of any kind -bullying -ignorance -logan paul -jake paul -sexual harassment of any kind -discrimination -toxic people -stanning problematic people -jake paul -logan paul -a closed mind — somebody once told me the world is gonna roll me (@quinxels) January 2, 2018undefined
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@LoganPaul You’re an idiot. You’re not raising awareness. You’re mocking. I can’t believe how self-praising your “apology” is. You don’t deserve the success (views) you have. I pray to God you never have to experience anything like that man did.
— Sophie Turner (@SophieT) January 2, 2018undefined
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Logan Paul doesn’t understand that 1 person ends their life every 40 seconds and that suicide is NEVER a joke
RT for someone who might need this: SUICIDE HOTLINE: 1-800-273-8255 — Berenabas (@BerenabasG) January 2, 2018undefined
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logan paul should’ve stopped filming the body when he realized it was a suicide, but instead he kept zooming in on the body and used it as clickbait, i’m so sick. suicide is a serious issue and trying to use it for views is disturbing and disgusting.
— ً (@joliyoongi) January 2, 2018undefined
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Hey Logan Paul, You want to be the first social media billionaire? By exploiting the death of a troubled youth? Take a long hard look at what you are doing with your popularity young man. Find a mentor and perhaps log off for a moment. @LoganPaul #beahumanfirst
— Dr. Mike Varshavski (@RealDoctorMike) January 2, 2018undefined
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Movie reviewers get their videos demonetized for no reason.
Logan Paul films the hanged body of a suicide victim and his channel is fine.@YouTube… are you for real? — Chris Stuckmann (@Chris_Stuckmann) January 2, 2018undefined