Teens all around the world have either committed or attempted suicide. This situation is a major problem in society because lots of teens get bullied, they get depressed and hopeless then kill themselves. In one of the articles I read, “Teen Who Shot Herself in Front of Her Parents is Still Being Bullied,” (CNN, December 14, 2016) a girl name Brandy Vela, who is 18 years old, shot herself in front of her parents after being recently cyberbullied. Cyberbullying through social media has become an epidemic in our culture. In another article I read, “Suicide Draws Attention to Gay Bullying,” (New York Times, September 21, 2011) teens who are lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender have had more suicide attempts than tees who identify with a heterosexual life style.

One of my classmates said that suicide is very common because teens feel neglected and alone.  Teens commit suicide because of being bullied, having family issues, and feeling like they’re not wanted in the world just because they’re different. In a conversation I had with my classmate, he said that he wanted to commit suicide because he didn’t feel accepted in the world just because he was gay.  He also wanted to commit suicide because of family issues. It took him a couple years to get over his depressed state. Now he is open about his sexuality and he is helping his friends in their time of need, so they don’t have to go through what he went through.

Raul Vela, the father of a teen who shot herself, wants lawmakers to increase restrictions on social media so it’s hard for cyberbullies to stay anonymous. He met with local legislators and community representatives to come up with ideas on how to help teens get through bullying. Their idea was to have specialized counselors and mental health support in schools. The writer Anahod O’ Conner suggested that positive environments can help reduce the risks of suicide attempts.

My call to action for teens that want to commit suicide is to go to a counselor, open up to your friends and family about your problem, or go to a teacher that you really trust and talk to them about what’s going on. My call to action for teens that don’t want to commit suicide is to look around their surroundings to see if anyone is feeling alone and help that person bring their spirits up. If someone is feeling down, go up to them and ask them if he or she is okay. If you see somebody by themselves or not having a good day, go up to them and talk to them. Even if they don’t want to tell you what’s going on, at least you tried.