«There are no groups of death»

Only 1% of teenage suicides in Russia are associated with death groups on social networks. This was announced by Vadim Gaidov, Deputy Head of the Main Directorate for Ensuring Public Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. Experts who deal with difficult teenagers do not agree with him. According to family psychologist, author of books for teenagers, nominee for the international literary award in memory of Astrid Lindgren Katerina Murashova, there are no «groups of death» at all.

For almost a year, the topic of teenage death groups has not left the pages of the press. What’s happening?

Katerina Murashova: Hysteria over so-called death groups is a common social phenomenon. Periodically, we are covered by such «waves».

Here it is necessary to speak about three phenomena. The first is the grouping reaction in adolescents. It is also found in animals. For example, young baboons and crows huddle in groups. In groups, young people are trained in social interaction and repelling attacks.

The second phenomenon is that children and teenagers love dangerous secrets. Remember the scary stories that the guys tell each other in pioneer camps. From the category «one family bought a black curtain and what came of it.» This can also include disputes, “is it weak or not” you alone go to the cemetery at night. These are all secrets with a mystical bias.

The third phenomenon is characteristic of immature intelligence — the search for conspiracy theories. Someone has to do all these bad things. For example, during my childhood, the idea was circulating that the glasses in the soda machines were deliberately infected with syphilis by foreign spies.

In the case of death groups, all three factors coincided. There is a grouping reaction: everyone wears studs — and I wear rivets, everyone catches Pokemon — and I catch Pokemon, everyone puts on blue whale avatars — and I should have a blue whale avatar. Again, there is some dangerous secret with thoughts about death, love-carrots and winding yourself up on the topic that no one understands me.

And, of course, the conspiracy theory. Behind all these groups of death there must be someone, some Dr. Evil from a cheap Hollywood movie. But most of these phenomena will function for a while — and die on their own.

For this hysteria to become really mass, probably, a request for it is also needed?

There must also be a request. For example, the hysteria around death groups can be explained by the desire to “tighten the screws” on the Internet. Or, say, parents want to somehow explain to their children that surfing the Internet is harmful. You can scare them with groups of death. But all this has nothing to do with reality.

There are no internet-inspired mass suicides. They were not and will not be! In principle, a person cannot be driven to suicide over the Internet. We have a very powerful instinct for self-preservation. Teenagers who commit suicide do so because their lives didn’t work out in real life.

Today we were covered with hysteria about the «groups of death», but before what waves were there?

One can recall the situation with the «indigo children», who, as claimed, almost represent a new race of people. Moms began to group on the Internet and exchange opinions that their children are the best. But there is a conspiracy theory — no one understands these children. It was the ravings of a madman. And where are the «indigo children» now?

There were funny cases. After the release of the song «They Won’t Catch Us» by the Tatu group, girls began to come to me en masse. They claimed that they were lesbians and no one understood them.

A few years ago I was invited to the Smolny for a meeting as an expert. Discussed the topic «What should we do with computer clubs.» It was said that children are zombies in them, that schoolchildren steal money in order to spend it on computer games, and in general that someone has already died in these clubs. They offered to let them in only with a passport. I looked at the audience with round eyes and said that nothing needs to be done, but just wait. Soon every home will have a computer, and the problem of clubs will disappear by itself. And so it happened. But children do not skip school en masse for the sake of computer games.

Now Philip Budeikin, the administrator of one of the so-called «death groups», is sitting in a St. Petersburg pre-trial detention center. In his interviews, he directly stated that he encouraged teenagers to commit suicide. He even named the number of those who committed suicide. Are you saying there is nothing?

The guy got into trouble, and now his cheeks are blowing. He didn’t lead anyone to anything. The unfortunate imbecile victim, turned on «likes».

General hysteria began with articles in Novaya Gazeta. It was stated that every parent is obliged to read the material …

Terrible material, very unpleasant. We made a compilation of everything that is possible. But the facts were collected professionally. In the sense that the effect was achieved. I repeat once again: it is impossible to fight death groups, because they simply do not exist. Nobody drives kids to commit suicide.

What, then, can induce a young man to lay hands on himself?

Chronically unfavorable situation in real life. The teenager is an outcast in the class, he has a bad situation in the family, he is mentally unstable. And against the background of this chronic instability, some other acute situation should happen.

For example, a girl lives with her alcoholic dad, who harassed her for years. Then she met a guy who, as it seemed to her, fell in love with her. And in the end he says to her: “You don’t suit me, you are dirty.” Plus unstable mentality. This is where a teenager can commit suicide. And he will do this not because some schoolboy created a group on the Internet.

And why is this hysteria so easily picked up by parents?

Because they are somewhat interested in it. It is necessary to shift the responsibility for the fact that their children are unhappy to someone. It is very comfortable. Why is my girl all painted blue and green? Why is she cutting her hands and talking about suicide all the time? So this is because it is driven to this on the Internet! And parents do not want to see how many times a day they talk with their girl about the weather and nature.

When your parents bring their “suicidal people” to you for an appointment, and you tell them: “Calm down, there are no death groups,” how do they react?

The reaction is different. Sometimes it turns out that there was a parent meeting at the school. Teachers were asked to be vigilant. And the parents say later that they thought it was all nonsense, they just wanted to get confirmation of their thoughts.

And people with an immature psyche claim that terrible villains are sitting on the Internet, who only want to destroy our children, and you just don’t know. These parents just start to panic.

There is a novel by Douglas Adams «The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy» — this is such a «hippie bible». The main slogan of this work is: «Don’t panic.» And in our country, adults, having fallen into the field of mass hysteria, do not revise their parental behavior. They don’t interact with children anymore. They start to panic and demand bans. And it doesn’t matter what to ban — death groups or the Internet in general.

A source: ROSBALT