%0 Journal Article
%T "Suicide machine" seekers: Transgressing suicidal taboos online
%J Learning Inquiry
%D 2008
%A Seko, Y.
%V 2
%N 3
%P 181-199
%X Internet-mediated joint suicides or "Net group suicides" (Net shinjū) has become a significant social problem in Japan since 2002. Despite a privileged view of suicide-related cyberspaces as a murky underworld, there has been little study about how the participants of such spaces interact and perform their "suicidal" identity. Viewing cyberspace as a unique discursive playground that sprouts a myriad of transgressive narratives, this paper examines "Suicide Club" (Jisatsu Club) an online discussion forum that facilitated the largest "Net group suicide" in Japanese history. A thematic content analysis of actual postings on "Suicide Club" reveals the double-edged nature of the forum. While some participants were determined to seek suicide companions or what I metaphorically call "suicide machines," others used the board as a social outlet to freely disclose their pent-up struggles, attempting to collectively transgress social taboos of suicide. © Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2008.<p /><p>Language: en</p>
%G en
%I 
%@ 1558-2981
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11519-008-0035-3