Overview Of Silicon Valley Suicide

For youth from the ages of 10 to 24, suicide is the third leading cause of death, and eight percent of teens report attempting suicide (“Suicide Prevention”). In Palo Alto, California, the suicide rate for high schoolers is between four and five times the national average, and 12 percent of students contemplated committing suicide in a 2013-2014 survey (Rosin). As a result of this epidemic, the issue of the Silicon Valley Suicides has gained national attention over recent years. However, as the press and media target the systemic issues, administrators, teachers, and, parents seek external help and explanation for internal problems. In covering the suicides of Palo Alto, the press and media have encountered issues including the stigmas in discussing

Gunn: 1 more suicide preventable”, was released on November 4, 2014 and has amassed over 87,000 views and 196 comments. At the time Cabot published the video, she had been enrolled in Palo Alto schools for five years. In that time, she witnessed seven suicides within her district. Cabot states that she aims to spread awareness with her video, claiming that the expectations placed on students at Gunn and the expectations that students place on themselves are excessive. In her video, Cabot places special emphasis on parents, stating, “We love our moms and we love our dads, but calm down. We’ll do just fine even though we got a B minus on that chem test, and no, I won’t join the debate team for you because I want to take theatre” (Cabot). Cabot’s video provides the perspective of a Palo Alto high school student to anyone who has access to YouTube, and she cites enormous pressure from students and parents as implicit causes for

Adults often choose not provide details in order to prevent other suicides and aim to limit media coverage. However, students such as Cabot and Carolyn Walworth claim that the suicides come from a different source: the adults around them and themselves in the academic setting. In her guest opinions piece “The Sorrows of Young Palo Altans” on Palo Alto Online, Walworth states “I could go on in detail about the times I 've had to go to urgent care because my stress and ensuing physical pain have been so concerning. I could tell you how I 've missed periods because I 've had so many tests to study for. I could express what it feels like to have a panic attack in the middle of a thirty person class and be forced to remain still.” One journalist from the Mercury Times even claims that “We 've created a cadre of brittle young people who believe they are failures if they don 't meet the impossible standards of their elders” (Herhold). Thus, students either feel victimized by the system or have adapted to the unrealistic level of