Over three weeks ago, YouTuber Logan Paul sparked worldwide backlash with his video of a suicide victim from the Suicide Forest in Japan. After Paul posted the video of the victim, it had amassed more than 6 million views, and YouTube, who is partly to blame, had not bothered to take it down. Somehow, the video had managed to pass YouTube’s moderation screening. Paul’s projects with YouTube Red were suspended and he was removed from the Google Preferred program. The first video he posted on his channel after his hiatus was a suicide and self-harm awareness video.
In Paul’s new video, he interviewed the survivor of a suicide attempt, as well as the director of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. He also promised to donate 1 million dollars to suicide prevention. In the video, Paul shares five ways that people can help others who are considering taking their lives. The video was not monetized, and YouTube has enforced a stricter policy on videos that make it to the Preferred program.
Has Logan Paul actually learned from this mistake? This is the big question that we will need to wait to see as time goes on. I hope that he has learned that suicide is a real and serious issue that should be addressed with caution and respect for people who have attempted, contemplated, or lost a loved one to suicide.
What are your thoughts? Should Logan Paul be given a second chance?
If you or someone you know is considering suicide or just looking for support, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.