Molly Russell, a British student from London, was just 14 years old when she died in November 2017. A coroner has officially ruled her death a suicide resulting from harmful social media posts.
"Molly Rose Russell died from an act of self-harm while suffering from depression and the negative effects of online content," coroner Andrew Walker of the Northern District of Greater London said this past Friday at the end of an inquest into Molly's death.
This conclusion is the first of its kind to put the blame of a suicide on social media platforms.
The coroner's report claims that Molly was exposed to content on social media sites like Instagram and Pinterest that was "not safe." The coroner added that this kind of content "should not have been available for a child to see."
The Molly Rose Foundation, an organization created in Molly's memory to help prevent suicide among people under 25, made a statement to the public after the report results were released.
“The inquest has demonstrated very clearly the significant dangers social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest present in the absence of any effective regulation,” a representative for the foundation stated.
The foundation and Molly's family are speaking out in the hopes that this conclusion in her case will result in change.
"This shows that if government and tech platforms take action on the issues raised in the inquest, it will have a positive effect on the mental well-being of young people, which is the key aim of the Molly Rose Foundation," the statement continued.
Molly's father had a message for the public while talking to reporters after the ruling.
"At this point, I just want to say however dark it seems, there is always hope, and if you're struggling please speak to someone you trust or one of the many wonderful support organizations, rather than engage with online content that may be harmful," Ian Russell, Molly's father, said, according to the BBC.
“Thank you, Molly, for being my daughter. Thank you.”
“We should not be sitting here,” Russell added. “This should not happen because it does not need to happen. We told this story in the hope that change would come about.”
Social media platforms that were mentioned in the report have come forward with apologies and promises of action. Pinterest in particular apologized for promotional emails it sent to Molly, including those with subjects like “10 depression pins you might like” and “depression recovery, depressed girl and more pins trending on Pinterest,” according to the BBC.
A representative for Pinterest admitted that it was "not safe" when Molly was using it, adding that he "deeply regrets" the content that she viewed, according to the BBC.
A representative for Meta, the company that owns both Facebook and Instagram, also released a statement following the conclusion. She stated that the company is “committed to ensuring that Instagram is a positive experience for everyone, particularly teenagers” and that the company would “carefully consider the coroner’s full report.”
The New York Times reported that in the six months before her tragic death, Molly reportedly shared, liked, or saved 16,300 pieces of content on Instagram. Of those, 2,100 of them were related to the topics of suicide, self-harm, and depression, according to data revealed by Meta.
Due to its subject matter, the ruling of Molly's death has gained both national and international attention.
Prince William tweeted a statement in support of Molly's family, via the official Prince and Princess of Wales Twitter account:
“No parent should ever have to endure what Ian Russell and his family have been through. They have been so incredibly brave. Online safety for our children and young people needs to be a prerequisite, not an afterthought.”
Note: If you or any of your loved ones are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can always reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling 988. They are available 24/7 by phone or online chat.
