Abstract
This study analyzed blog posts linked to the “Blue Whale” game in blogs. A Qualitative study was conducted on Tumblr Posts in Portuguese by searching for the string “baleia azul” (“blue whale”), and were submitted to thematic analysis. The main themes were: "Understanding and support", "Opposition to the game or the players", "Blue Whale game information", "(Family) Relationship" and "Vulnerability". Bloggers expressed warm, understanding or derogatory attitudes towards people prone or who identified themselves to the game. Games related to suicidal behavior may raise diverse interest level and diverse attitudes and behaviors in a young audience, being a risk for vulnerable individuals; it needs to be addressed in preventive strategies.
Highlights
Despite being considered a preventable death, suicide is the second leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 29 years old, this fact drawing attention to this phenomenon, which affects the young population[1]
In view of the relevance of the issue and the gaps found in the scientific literature, this study aimed to analyze those themes related to the “Blue Whale” suicide game, found in blog posts in Portuguese
The main themes related to the “Blue Whale” suicide game were represented by the categories “Understanding and support”, “Opposition to the game or the players”, “Information about the Blue Whale game”, “(Family) relationships” and “Vulnerability”
Summary
Despite being considered a preventable death, suicide is the second leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 29 years old, this fact drawing attention to this phenomenon, which affects the young population[1]. The Internet has influenced people’s life, has influenced young people, and mainly teenagers, who are potentially susceptible to intimidation, victimization and social exclusion[4,5] Social media have different contents and an ambiguous relationship with suicide; they can make up a support and welfare net for suffering individuals or disseminate pro-suicide content[6]. Blogs are commonly used as a virtual diary or as means of communication to express opinions, feelings, thoughts and experiences. They can reach a large audience and influence many people[7]. Research about how suicide-vulnerable people interact in blogs is necessary for the planning of effective prevention and support strategies[9]
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