Beyond quick fixes: making digital spaces safer won’t be enough to prevent suicide

Online harms require attention, but so do the broader systems that shape mental health and well-being.
Suicide prevention requires co-ordinated public health strategies, not reactive responses to the latest platform feature, writes Andrew Perez. Pexels photograph by Polina Zimmerman
Opinion
BY ANDREW PEREZ
April 20, 2026

As conversations about youth mental health intensify, digital platforms like social media and artificial intelligence are increasingly under scrutiny. In February, Instagram

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