A trauma management consultant, Mr Samuel Pender, has urged the Federal Government to establish a regulatory body that would monitor social media presentations to the citizens in Nigeria.
Pender, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday, said that the role of social media had tremendously increased the suicide rate in the country.
According to him, the indiscriminate display of wealth, social status and fake lifestyles through these media has triggered depression within emotionally unstable individuals which inadvertently leads to suicide.
“The social media is a positive development, but it also has its negative sides too. It can be used as a means to psychologically and emotionally abuse on a person or community.
“Abuse is the major reason why people find themselves depressed and think of committing suicide as a way out of their emotional state of mind.
“If there is a regulatory system guiding what is being presented, this will help reduce the propagation of negative vibes and reduce the attempt of people at suicide,” the consultant said.
Pender said that ban on the sale of sniper across the country would not curb the cases of suicide.
He said that it was just one of the ways by which a person could end his or her life.
“There are other poisonous substances and methods at committing suicide for a depressed person.
“The best way to reduce suicide is to be able to mentally prepare people on the outcome of the truth to the harsh reality of the world we live in,” Pender said.
The consultant said that religious leaders have major role to play in building positive images about people through the preaching of motivational messages in the society.
He said that most of the messages preached from the pulpits by religious leaders were based on prosperity which were enough to make an unemployed person to become depressed.
“The Federal Government also needs to wake up and encourage youths more by empowering them to achieve sustainable development goals in future,” he said
The consultant also advised parents to be mindful of how they correct their children, especially the young adults in public so as not to stress them emotionally and psychologically.
Pender advised people not to relent in whatever endeavour they find themselves in and to always have a positive disposition to life.
“Tragedy is inevitable and can pop up at any moment in anyone’s life. The best approach is to admit that the tragedy has happened and see how you can move on.
“The greatest harm you can do to yourself is to blame yourself for what you cannot stop from happening to you,” he said.
Pender said that some traumatic experience could be very painful, and if left unattended, could lead to depression and suicide as the ultimate way out.
The expert said that a good way of expressing pain was to talk about it, because when you talk about it, you feel light within.
“Another way of expressing pain is through crying,” he said. (NAN)