Abyss or Shelter? On the Relevance of Web Search Engines' Search Results When People Google for Suicide

• In Event: Suicide and Stigma Studies in Health Communication

Abstract

While suicide rates may increase after being reported by the mass media, appropriate depictions of suicide can help people overcome suicidal crises. A similar ambivalence may be postulated for online suicide-related search results. Importantly, the filter-bubble hypothesis (Pariser, 2011) states that search results are biased by algorithms based on a person’s previous behavior. We investigated whether suicide-related search queries influence subsequent search results which in turn might protect or harm suicidal users. We utilized a 3 (search history: harmful, helpful, suicide-unrelated) × 2 (reactive: clicking, no clicking) experimental design applying agent-based testing. While findings show no influences of search histories or of reactivity on search results in a subsequent situation, the presentation of a helpline raises concerns about possible detrimental algorithmic decision-making: Algorithms "decided" whether to present a helpline. This automated decision, then, followed the agent throughout the rest of the observation. Implications for policy-making and search providers are discussed.

Authors

• Mario Haim, LMU Munich

• Florian Arendt, U of Munich (LMU)

• Sebastian Scherr, LMU Munich