Someone on the TV? Can't play Wii? Hang yourself!

[Shane R. Monroe]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2199...tendo-Wii.html

A schoolboy hanged himself with his school tie just hours after his Nintendo Wii was confiscated during a "minor argument" with his parents.

Jake Roberts, 13, stormed upstairs and fastened the tie around his neck and then to his bed. He was found by his father a short while later.
His parents said he could have got the idea by watching a young person hanging themselves on the television programme Casualty.
But a coroner said that Jake had killed himself by accident and there was no evidence he has been influenced by the programme.

His mother, Andrea, said they had given Jake some money for his birthday with which he had bought a new Wii game.
But when he got home with it his sister was watching television and he could not play it. She said he "had a temper tantrum and stormed off upstairs".
Soon after, his father, John, went up to see him. He said: "The first thing I saw when I walked in to Jake's bedroom was all the paper he had ripped up on the floor during his tantrum.
"The door was open with his bed to my left behind the door. I was going to tell him off when I turned. It took me a few seconds to register what I was seeing.
"His school tie was round his neck and he was hung from his cabin bed. I tried to lift him and his tie was attached to a bar on the bed."
Jake, who died in February, was described as a "sensitive boy with a fantastic imagination" who enjoyed writing stories and poems, one of which had been published.
An inquest heard that Jake died two days after being rushed to hospital from his home in Scarborough, North Yorks.
Mr Roberts, a printer, said: "I honestly don't think he meant to hang himself. I think he was mad about the computer game and just did something stupid."
Mrs Roberts, a bank clerk, added that the family had watched an episode of the BBC drama Casualty together weeks before, which had featured a young person hanging themselves.
She said she had been "really shocked" that it had been broadcast at 8pm, but added: "But I don't think anything he had seen influenced him. When he was younger he had a bit of a temper and he'd had tantrums with us before."
Recording a verdict of accidental death, the Coroner, Michael Oakley, said: "There is no evidence whatsoever that he took things he had seen into account.
"He didn't have any particular temper tantrums other than those you would expect from someone who had just become a teenager.
"There had been a minor argument. The circumstances in which he was found do not suggest to me this was a deliberate act to end his life."
In a statement after the verdict, Mr and Mrs Roberts, said: "Jake was a kind, caring and sensitive boy who had a wonderfully dry sense of humour and huge potential for the future.
"He had a special and unique talent for writing stories which stemmed from a fantastic imagination.
"We love him so very much and miss him more and more with each passing day, and are still struggling to come to terms with his loss."

[peltazoid]

Typical of the media to blame video games (a la the heading of the article), but this is the trend of the moment.

Bizarre thing to do because you are upset over not being able to play your new game. When I was a kid I was passionate about my videogames and itched to play a newly bought game, but if some one else (my dad) was on the computer I would patiently wait. I wonder if the kid was unhappy in other ways or possible mental illness (just conjecture). I feel sorry for his parents and siblings for the loss.

[BydoEmpire]

I didn't really read any blame of video games in that story, although, yeah, the headline is kind of misleading since the Wii is barely related to the story. If anything, they "blame" the TV show Casualty, since apparently that's where the kid got the idea, and even that's not worded in a way that says "it's TV's fault."

Sounds like either an accident (which is what they hint at), or the kid had a serious chemical imbalance.

[FalloutBR]

Now that's bizarre.

I don't know if it's just the Internet and the whole "global, instant news" thing, but it seems like every year people become crazier... especially on the developed countries. I don't know, I guess that lack of "real problems" so to speak just leads to that sort of thing or something.

What's really weird is how people today, especially kids, seem to believe everything they see on TV or in a videogame or whatever is real, even when it's not. Either that, or the observers believe it... I mean, I know that's not how you measure other people, but really, when I was 5 years old I knew I would never hang myself or destroy anything or believe some sort of movie or videogame was real... and my parents barely stayed at home while me and my older brother played something like Contra or watched Rambo!

Just... weird stuff.

[Nectar]

If there's a video game lying within 100ft of a crime or tragedy involving a minor you can guarantee that it will be the focus of the articles about it. Its the first thing they investigate (Were there video games in the house?).

[Chadster]

Forget video games, we should ban ties! Those things are deathtraps for small children!

[OldSchoolGamer]

Just happened to be a Wii, could of just as easily been a bike, TV, comic etc. The kid had issues obviously, oh right, if had been something else we'd of never heard about it!

[Oedipus]

What's really weird is how people today, especially kids, seem to believe everything they see on TV or in a videogame or whatever is real, even when it's not. Either that, or the observers believe it...

The observervers believe it. Kids are always smarter than people give them credit for. Especially now. What's funny is you will hear people say "Kids are savvier now than in the past" yet many of those same people think kids are too dumb to differentiate between fantasy and reality. They can work a computer at 5 (and younger) but according to these people the same kids think its ok to gun down civilians because of GTA.

How about the parents do their damn job as parents and stop blaming entertainment, art and the media. The artist is not responsible for your kid being a damn idiot. You (the parent) are responsible for that.

I like how in the article she says she was shocked that program was on at 8pm. Well you were watching it with him, if it shocked you that much you could have changed the channel. Perhaps you could have tried talking to him about what was shown in the program (Talking to your kids, heaven forbid!).

Most TV's now have parental controls. As do most gaming devices and dvd players. Parents have more control now than ever over what their kids can see and not see. They have no one to blame but themselves (and their kids).

[BorninUSA]

What a douche bag. Another waste of sweet, sweet air.

I'm 14 and all, but from what I know most people don't hang themselves over a Wii. $10 says he was doing poorly in school and had friend problems.

[TechMaster]

Most TV's now have parental controls. As do most gaming devices and dvd players. Parents have more control now than ever over what their kids can see and not see. They have no one to blame but themselves (and their kids).

Yea its amazing, the only parental control we had back in my day was a parent telling you "Your banned from watching TV or that TV show" and you know what? It freaking worked like a charm! (most of the time )

The threat of an asswhooping was an amazing deterent. And strangely it was the threat, not the actual asswhooping! Rarely did the act ever have to take place. I think I only actually got like 3 of them in my entire childhood...And I deserved them.