Suicide.com: the last act of spectacle

Abstract

Dialoguing with the theoretical intersection between central references of the Critical Theory of Society and the philosopher Guy Debord, through literature review and case studies, this article sought to discuss the theme of suicide.com. Although the term has been coined, it was done, generically, for suicide cases in which the author uses some digital resource to the act. Therefore, suicide.com shows its characteristics and forms of manifestation that differs between cases in which the suicides are encouraged and directed by websites and/or internet users where, in general, such practices are restricted to the forums. accompanied by the chats, having as a visual record eventual images of the process; creation of suicide groups where people meet in forums to talk about the subject and they create a collective death pact; or cases where the suicide makes the practice public in video and live, from the access of Internet users to the webcam. However, the proposed approach embraced a new understanding of the concept, which could be based on the following premises: a) the suicide, as a social phenomenon, is limited to the historical context and cultural factors of its time and space, therefore, the media is an inherent component of contemporary suicide practices; b) suicide.com, however, is not just the virtualized replication of traditional suicide; It is the result of the processes of public spectacularization of private life in virtual environments.