14 DAY TRIAL // The suicide of Abraham Biggs, broadcast live on Justin.tv website, shocked the nation on November 19th, when the depressive teen put an end to his life with a cocktail of medication he regularly used to treat his bipolar disorder. The 19-year-old boy used a web cam connected to the Internet, and posted links on various sites to get people to watch him killing himself.
Authorities estimate that some 1,500 people logged on to his cam, and started sending him messages, either to try to make him stop what he was doing, or urging him to take even more pills. A single viewer reported the abuse to the site managers, who in turn called the police. Though they rushed to his house, law enforcement officers only found a dead body in the room. The last sequences broadcast on-line show a policeman, with his gun drawn, entering the room and checking Biggs' corpse for life signs.
Not only people did not try to stop Biggs or call the authorities, but that they also encouraged him to do it, taunting him with insults and calling him names. Justin.tv CEO, Michael Seibel, sent an e-mail to The Times newspaper, explaining that his company had a very strict set of rules in place, aimed precisely at stopping such videos from being aired via the Internet.
It's highly unlikely that the exact number of viewers will ever be discovered. Such mass indifference puzzled psychologists, who said that the anonymity and privacy the Internet offers could make people act this way. "I think that some people use that as an excuse to behave in really vile ways,” said David Griner, an expert on social media.
The entire situation could have been prevented if those who had read his earlier blog entries had notified the police. Biggs first said he would attempt suicide at 3 AM, and only died 12 hours later. Instead of notifying a moderator about the user's posts, those who watched him die preferred to wait and see what would happen. His cam showed the teenager taking the drugs and then laying on his bed for several hours, before someone notified the police.
“The hate that rages within me, rages not for those I love so dearly or those who have crossed my path. This hate rages full force towards me and only me. I have long forgiven those who've hurt me, but I have not and cannot come to terms to forgive myself for the things I have done to myself, and the things I've done to hurt those in my life,” said the boy in a suicide note he posted on-line.
“I cannot tell you how sorry I am for ending my life the way I did. I hope that you can all find it in your heart to see it as way for me not suffering anymore and that I am finally at rest with myself, for being at rest with the guilt that constantly ate at me for so long. Please forgive me all for taking my own life so early. I tried so hard to fight against this strong battle. I have reached out for help so many times, and yet I believe, I was turned away because of the things I did, that it is a punishment I am willing to take, for I know that being who I am has only brought myself and others pain.”