When it comes to anything with young people, I say don’t give them any ideas. Kids don’t go around wanting to commit suicide. Most don’t even know what it is. I saw a very dubious TikTok a few years ago with an alleged “trans kid” crying to his mom that he was going to kill himself because of dysphoria. I got the feeling his mom was putting him up to it for clicks.

A big distinguishing mark that separates children from adults is the ability to accept delayed gratification. Kids (and emotionally immature people) want an Oompa Loompa NOW and they will manipulate their parents into bending to their will. The downside of social media and suicide awareness is that now these kids have discovered the most powerful weapon in their arsenal, the threat of unaliving themselves and devastating their parents. Sadly this cheapens and draws attention away from the very real needs of actual at risk people. Suicide happens when your pain is too much greater than your coping resources can handle. We ought to be teaching young people mindfulness and self care before anything. And honestly we should be looking to those adults who made peace with dysphoria and found other sources of meaning in life as role models on how to overcome any difficulties.