Social Media Users, Suicidal Notes and Tendencies: A Study on Young-Adults Males and Females of Bangladesh

Suicide has emerged as a critical public health issue in Bangladesh, particularly among its youth population. The proliferation of social media platforms has added new dimensions to how suicidal ideation is expressed and shared, often through public or private posts, digital notes, or direct messages. This study explores the nuanced tendencies of suicidal expression among male and female university students in Bangladesh, with particular focus on how these expressions manifest through digital communication platforms such as Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, Twitter, and TikTok. The research aims to investigate the linguistic, emotional, and contextual features of suicidal notes—both physical and digital—and assess gendered patterns in their composition and dissemination. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study integrates qualitative content analysis of 100 suicide notes (60 digital and 40 handwritten) and quantitative data from a survey conducted with 600 university students (300 males and 300 females) across six public and private universities. Additionally, in-depth interviews were conducted with 30 individuals including survivors, friends, family members, university counselors, and mental health professionals. The study draws from theoretical frameworks of Durkheim’s theory of suicide, Goffman’s dramaturgical theory of self-presentation, and Foucault’s theory of biopolitics to interpret the findings. Preliminary findings reveal critical gender differences: male students are more likely to express suicidal intent linked to social pressure, economic distress, or academic failure, and often display signs of withdrawal prior to the act. Female students more frequently associate suicidal ideation with emotional trauma, cyberbullying, romantic rejection, and family conflict. Digital suicide notes left by females tended to include more interpersonal language, requests for forgiveness, and appeals to empathy, whereas male digital expressions often embodied themes of existential nihilism and detachment. Notably, a significant proportion of suicidal notes referenced feelings of digital loneliness, cyber harassment, or comparison anxiety induced by social media. Furthermore, the research identifies that many students use social media as a space for emotional release, indirect cries for help, or symbolic farewell. The temporal pattern also indicates a high volume of suicidal posts or notes shared during nighttime or weekends—periods marked by decreased peer supervision and heightened emotional vulnerability.The study makes a significant contribution to the emerging field of digital suicidology and highlights the importance of understanding virtual communication behaviors as precursors to real-world tragedies.