Topics such as depression and suicide must not be taboo subjects in society. This is what the association Freunde fürs Leben e.V., which provides information in a sensitive, responsible and empathetic way, is committed to. It is a partner of Telekom in its fight against hate on the Internet.
"There are a lot of people who break because of all the social media pressure," says a participant in the latest spot of the Telekom initiative #TAKEPART - No hatespeech. In the spot, he and other influencers want to convince an online community of their skills. What begins positively ends in a hate storm full of insulting and hurtful comments. You can watch the spot here.
ven if the casting for the commercial was staged, many experience attacks like that online every day. This can lead to strong self-doubt, withdrawal from social media or depression, even suicidal thoughts.
“Freunde fürs Leben” inform on depression and suicide
Telekom is supported in its fight for an Internet free from hate by 44 partners, including the association “Freunde fürs Leben” (“Friends for Life”), which campaigns for issues that are still considered taboo by society: Depression and suicide - especially among teenagers and young adults.
Diana Doko and Gerald Schömbs founded the association in 2001 because they were personally affected. Their goal is to educate people, inform them about support services and raise awareness so that they are better able to interpret cries for help. Because many do not know: With more than 5.3 million people affected in Germany and over 260 million worldwide, depression is no longer a marginal phenomenon. In Germany, suicide is the second most common cause of death among young people under 25 years.
Diana Doko explains: "Depression has many causes, and not everybody who is suffering is at risk of suicide - but the risk of this is many times higher in people with depression. We must prevent this. Mental health must be given a higher priority in our society - especially in the current pandemic period, when contact between each other has been reduced to a minimum and life is increasingly shifting to the digital world. This is what drives us, and we are pleased to support Telekom as a partner in its commitment against hate on the Internet!"
With media diversity for more mental health
The founders and the volunteers of “Freunde fürs Leben” make full use of their repertoire as experts for communication and PR: from educational material for various target groups, to podcasts, social media channels and their own YouTube formats, to collaborations with celebrities and artists - the range of services is wide and varied. Above all, they reach teenagers and young adults where they spend most of their time: online.
What we can all do: talk and be mindful
“Freunde fürs Leben” are convinced that the most important thing is to talk about the topics of depression and suicide and to remove the taboo surrounding them. At the same time, it is important to recognize the signals of those affected and to help them find professional help.
To this end, the association produces pocket guides, among other things. They summarize the most important information on warning signals, help options, facts and prejudices briefly and compactly. There are pocket guides on the topics of suicide and depression.
Important links for reading
- Here you can find the pocket guides and other information material of the association (German only).
- If you are looking for help yourself or would like to help others, you will find suitable offers of help here (German only).
- Visit the website of the association “Freunde fürs Leben” here (German only).
You can find out more about Telekom's current project against hate on the Internet here.
