“Molly Rose Russell died from an act of self-harm while suffering from depression and the negative effects of online content,” coroner Andrew Walker of the Northern District of Greater London said at the conclusion of an inquest into the late teenager’s death, theNew York Timesreported.
Per the outlet, Walker added that the internet “affected her mental health in a negative way and contributed to her death in a more than minimal way.”
Molly Rose Foundation
The BBC reported the head of health and wellbeing at Meta, Elizabeth Lagone and Pinterest’s head of community operations Judson Hoffmanattended the inquest to present evidenceon behalf of the social media sites.
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Hoffman admitted Pinterest was “not safe” when Russell used it, adding that he “deeply regrets” the online content that she viewed, per the outlet. Meanwhile, Lagone also confessed several posts presented in the court that Russell had engaged in would have violated Instagram’s policies, despite also claiming some of them were “safe.”
After learning about the ruling, MRF issued a statement, writing, “The MRFwelcomes the verdict of the inquestinto the death of Molly Russell.”
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“At its heart, this is about online safety,” the statement read. “The inquest has demonstrated very clearly the significant dangers social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest present in the absence of any effective regulation.”
“This shows that if government and tech platforms take action on the issues raised in the inquest, it will have a positive effect on the mental well-being of young people, which is the key aim of the Molly Rose Foundation,” the statement added in part.
While speaking to reporters following the ruling, the late teenager’s father Ian Russell said, per the BBC, “In the last week we’ve heard much about one tragic story — Molly’s story. Sadly, there are too many others similarly affected right now.”
“At this point, I just want to say however dark it seems, there is always hope, and if you’re struggling please speak to someone you trust or one of the many wonderful support organizations, rather than engage with online content that may be harmful,” he explained. “Please do what you can to live long and stay strong.”
A spokesperson for Meta which owns social sites Facebook and Instagram said in a statement after the conclusion of the inquest, noting that the company is “committed to ensuring that Instagram is a positive experience for everyone, particularly teenagers” and would “carefully consider the coroner’s full report,” BBC reported.
source: people.com
