A dangerous 'virtual world': Tallahassee father launches child suicide prevention website

Technology is an unavoidable part of everyday life. One Tallahassee father is working to raise awareness about the potential dangers of its intensifying grip on today’s youth.

After losing his son three years ago to suicide prompted by excessive use of video games, Jeff Griggs decided to find a way to potentially save other people from having to experience what he and his family went through.

He partnered with officials from the Tallahassee Police Department, Leon County Sheriff’s Office, the Leon County School District and mental health experts to create a website. ParentDigitialAnswers.org is filled with advice and information for parents about the most popular and commonly used apps, social media platforms and video games.

“Technology is swiftly changing the world,” Griggs said. “Kids are so comfortable in the virtual world.”

The lines between reality and virtual reality are increasingly becoming blurred, and in cases like Griggs’ son Joel, it could become a matter of life and death.

Griggs’ 19-year-old son moved to Oklahoma to live and work with a friend. Shortly after his start, the company downsized, and he was laid off. Within the same day, he and his girlfriend broke up, Griggs said, and the combination of the two life-altering events sent Joel into a downward spiral.

Joel’s roommate said he immediately reverted to playing his favorite games. For the four days leading up to his suicide, Joel’s roommate told Griggs his son was playing all day and night for almost 80 hours straight.

Griggs said a 13-year-old boy, with whom his son played video games with frequently, was the one who ultimately talked Joel into committing suicide, telling him to shoot himself, and that he’d come back and have another life just like in the games.

“This 13-year-old Canadian lad badgered my son to take his life until he finally did,” Griggs said.

Stories like his, and a few of his friends who have also lost their kids to suicide is why it is important for parents to be informed and involved, Griggs said.

Julie Schuck, a mental health therapist and social worker, said she is deeply concerned by the well-being of kids today.

Video games make it very easy for kids to get confused between the difference of fiction and reality, Schuck said.

“[Video games and social media are] not inherently evil,” she said. “But [they] shouldn’t be used all the time.”

Kids need the outdoors and real face-to-face community, she said, and these online avenues are not cutting it. Video games and electronics are a major factor in the rise of poor mental health in kids and teenagers.

Constantly being online results in lack of things like sleep and vitamin D, which are vital to a person’s mental health, Schuck said.

Recognizing the increasing issues electronics are imposing on kids today, Leon County Superintendent Rocky Hanna said the school system is prioritizing kids' mental well-being.

A teacher’s role has vastly changed, he said. They pay attention to the students in their classes and refer them to counselors if behaviors seem worrisome. They monitor web searches and what students are doing on their county-issued devices.

Additionally, public schools are now required by House Bill 379, which went into effect July 1, to educate students on the social, emotional and physical effects of social media.

A lot of these steps are being taken by the schools and teachers because they are not being done at home, Hanna said. The website championed by Griggs is another great tool that the schools can provide parents with, and Leon County schools are proud to be backing the initiative because Hanna said he believes the best defense is good offense.

“Once you’ve lost a child, there’s no going back,” he said. “There’s no do-overs. You never get a second chance.”

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Because mental health is increasingly becoming a community issue, it is a law enforcement issue too, Leon County Sheriff Walter McNeil said. McNeil and his deputies are working to arm parents with whatever they can to keep them engaged with their children and monitoring what they are playing.

“Our children are our future,” McNeil said. “We the parents and the leaders have to make sure we do everything we can to protect them.”

Elena Barrera can be reached at ebarrera@tallahassee.com. Follow her on Twitter @elenabarreraaa.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee father launches website on mental health and technology