The livestreamed suicide of 12-year-old Katelyn Nicole Davis was a lesson in...
Catfished, cyberbullied, allegedly raped, and ignored, Katelyn Davis became the tragic poster girl for the dangers of the internet, useless followers and family.
THE SUICIDE OF 12-YEAR-OLD KATELYN NICOLE DAVIS IS DISTURBING. For those of you who don't know about it, she's an American tweenager who broadcast her suicide online in 2016.
Known as ITZ Dolly, she spoke for quite a while before she hung herself. She apologised many times (no child should ever feel the need to have to apologise so much). She made disquieting references to the internet characters Ben Drowned and Slenderman, seemingly unintentionally ensuring that she'll become part of creepy legend.
She got hold of her tears by taking deep breaths. She was committed to leaving-
-her neck never snapped. She never dropped far enough for instant death. Her twitching body supports that her departure was more terrifying - she suffocated to death. But for all the twitching, she never attempted to save herself. How that depressed dedication was possible for one so young is incomprehensible. I wonder how many thoughts ran through her head faster than life should be.
There's no way I'm going to get that video out of my head. Which is a good thing because we shouldn't be able to ignore that things such as youth suicide have become frighteningly common in our increasingly fearful and fear-filled world, self-consumed to the point of indifference that's sometimes only interrupted by the urge for cruelty. The latter is emphasised by online comments mocking her death - bullies are never satisfied!
I'm not going to post the suicide video but maybe you can find parts of Katelyn Davis' diary and watch a montage of video clips she made the same month.
In a video, since removed, there was a hectic argument with her mother that provided insight into her life; Katelyn being de facto parent of her younger siblings, her mom on drugs and her mom's ex-boyfriend having abused her. It's heartbreaking.
It’s another lesson in the dangers of the internet, but also how cruel, apathetic and superficial online friendships can be. The millions of people watching her death video eventually forced Facebook to start reviewing sensitive material. That was more Public pressure than a lesson learned by Zuckerberg’s reluctant behomoth.
This is so depressing. I won’t be watching the video.
Amazing and sad, to die at that age
It's so sad she felt that terribly alone inside