Government develops controversial new cellphone app in an effort to prevent teen suicides

Article: Government provides 'suicide prevention' services... controversial debate over whether it's actually useful

Source: Yonhap News via Naver

In an effort to prevent and decrease teen suicide rates, the government is pushing for students and parents to download an application on cellphones that monitors the student's SNS, Kakao Talk, and internet search activities and immediately alerts the parents if there are any suicide related conversations or searches.

The government is also looking into making suicide spots like rooftops less accessible by making it open only for emergencies.

These two are under criticism as being 'useless', as many including experts think that the government should be targeting the cause of suicides like societal and education pressure and family discord and working to alleviate the pressure and anxiety students feel rather than an application that students can easily bypass and work around. People also fear that blocking rooftop access will make emergency situations more confusing and dangerous.

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1. [+824, -43] Politicians are so dumb and useless

2. [+724, -22] Stuff like this is useless if the cause of suicides aren't alleviated

3. [+645, -24] So what, the government is going to be monitoring the cellphones of students now?

4. [+566, -15] Korea always picks the most useless things to do. They never to think to get to the root of the problem.

5. [+436, -14] ... So useless ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

6. [+106, -4] So will my mom get a text if I message someone saying "I'm so hungry I'm going to die" ㅠㅠ

7. [+99, -2] How about instead of blocking suicide, the government works on creating an environment that doesn't lead to suicide

8. [+83, -4] As if an app like that would help. I wonder how much money they'll be wasting on this useless project... old farts are so hopeless.

9. [+76, -4] As if any student would download that app;; they're already at an age where they're sensitive about their private lives

10. [+73, -3] Yeah, I'm sure students would love downloading that app ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ what a waste of my taxes

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