Youth suicide is not

"because of social media" or "bullying". Those things may contribute immensely to it but the problems associated with suicide are much deeper and more complex than that. 

I cannot claim any sort of expertise on the subject. I have read articles, books, papers and more. I will almost certainly read more. They will no doubt make me feel the same sort of sick despair that anyone should feel so worthless and such a burden that taking their own life is seen as the solution.

What I can claim is a belief that we are more aware of the issues. I also believe that some of the things that might help are not being recognised. 

As a child and a teenager the late Senior Cat's social life revolved around school and church. The same was true of many of his friends. Their mothers were, for the most part, "stay at home". Their fathers were in steady employment. The vast majority of people were not wealthy but they had housing and food. They made their own entertainment because there was no television, limited radio (for which you needed a licence and could only hear inside a building) and no "social media". If your father read a newspaper you might see it. He might tell you something about politics and you would hear about major events. 

It was not that different for me or my brother. Our social life was Guides and Scouts, Rural Youth and the church youth club. We did not "party" or "go out clubbing". I do not know of anyone who did. There was no money for that. 

There was "sport" of course. There were plenty of people our age who played football, cricket, netball and tennis. Involvement in those activities for my brother would have meant my parents being able to transport him to matches. He was not interested. They did not have time. 

Lack of involvement in sport did not really matter too much. We were still patrol leaders in Guides and Scouts and on the working parties in Rural Youth. We played our parts in youth club events and argued about whether it was right to "mow hay on Sundays". There were debates and school "socials" where we had folk dancing because the Seventh Day Adventists could not come if it was a "two step" or a "waltz". 

At home at night and when not studying for an exam or doing farm work we read books and more books. We drew and painted, knitted and sewed, made models from balsa and "crystal sets" from kits. We had to find our own entertainment. Communicating with a friend outside of school meant you made the arrangement before leaving school for the day. There might be a phone call but that was about it. Our parents usually knew where we were because arrangements had to be made in advance. It was very, very unusual for anyone still at school to have a car. If you lived in the city you took the bus or the train or rode your push bike.

Yes, it was different. We knew who the real isolates were. They could not hide it the way it can now be hidden. Guides and Scouts are no longer as popular. They have had to deal with other issues, some of them very nasty issues indeed. Rural youth group membership has dropped too, as has the rural population.  The number of people who attend church has also dropped. Even if you want a weekly church service you can "attend" via a zoom link. Is that the same as actually dressing in your best, going there and standing around chatting afterward? I doubt it.  Clubs of all sorts have a dropping membership. People do not want to take on the responsibility for running them, especially when the rules and regulations for such events seem to increase each time you meet.

And perhaps that is where things have really started to go wrong. It is not social media as such but the expectation that all we need to do to be entertained is push a button on a remote control and sit there. We do not need to make an effort to be entertained any more.  

If we do that as adults then the next generations will expect to do the same. They will not have the inner resources to entertain themselves. Young and healthy? You are expected to go and play sport for entertainment and friendship but it really is not the answer. There is much more to life and social life than that. We must, absolutely must, teach the generations below us the skills which will allow them to entertain themselves. It won't stop all suicides but it will surely help some of them be more aware.