The Why Initiative

One primary question after your loved one dies by suicide is, “Why?” Our initiative is dedicated to confronting online communities that encourage suicide. My boyfriend, 18-year-old Jayden Drinnen, inspired this project after engaging with individuals on Sanctioned Suicide, the “pro-choice” suicide website, ending his life weeks later. By establishing a branded platform for education, support, and advocacy efforts, we will turn into a safe space for suicide loss survivors and those who are experiencing suicidal thoughts. We connect families, survivors, and mental health advocates to promote a healthier digital space.

“The Why Initiative” (TWI) is a necessary formal nonprofit business entity that ensures we combat dangerous digital communities, which claim the lives of dozens of individuals each year. The New York Times led an investigation in 2021 that linked 45 deaths globally to Sanctioned Suicide, a “pro-choice” suicide platform that actively promotes and encourages taking one’s life. The report found that it drew over 6 million page views a month worldwide, with at least 500 members saying their final “goodbye” via the suicide discussion thread. Users on the website are anonymous, so it can be assumed that this number is minimal compared to the actual number of individuals who have made a decision related to this site. Since the release of the NYT investigation, the site has gone from 20,000 members to over 60,000 registered members. Because of legal gray areas, the United States has yet to ban this notorious site, making it imperative to take action. TWI aims to create a safeguarded platform that moderates discussion and builds a community of survivors, advocates, mental health professionals, and suicidal individuals. Our objectives center on bridging the gap between an online environment and mental health resources through a structured, prevention-focused organization. By establishing this initiative, we will ensure a credible and legitimate platform. Our nonprofit website will introduce our need to change the conversation surrounding suicide through Do Not Ask Why, a documentary that provides insight into the central mission. Individuals can access educational resources through videos that focus on healing, healthy coping skills, and awareness. A link to a highly focused discussion platform will be provided, where users can communicate on threads including “Survivors of Suicide Loss,” “Healthy Coping,” and “Navigating Suicidal Thoughts.” In these threads, mental health experts and advocates will become moderators who prevent harmful language that is against our extensive guidelines. This use of credible moderators will establish our legitimacy and foster a sense of countrywide trust. Ethical standards imposed by creating a formal organization will further assist in making a lasting impact. The nonprofit structure will include social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, where we will share short-form videos that direct those seeking help to our website. These platforms will also draw in donors to contribute to our overall agenda by stating our need for funding to support professional moderators, website and platform management, and production costs associated with our videos. Many foundations, government programs, and philanthropic donors solely provide funding to registered nonprofits, making this structure critical for financial sustainability. Another key part of our efforts includes collaboration with mental health organizations, schools and universities, legislatures, and conferences that address digital safety and suicide. Dedicated members of our platform will act as spokespersons in these settings after training on communicating suicide effectively. Although this work began because of my personal loss of Jayden and my desire to turn that grief into something meaningful, creating a formal organization allows the mission to grow beyond just one person.