South Korea's Mapo Bridge has a big problem. Since South Korea has the highest suicide rates among first world nations, the Seoul-River traversing bridge has far too many stories of people ending their lives over the edge of the bridge.
Samsung Life Insurance and Cheil Worldwide have teamed up to turn the Mapo Bridge into an encouraging marriage of sight and sound in order to encourage those thinking of ending it all from reconsidering. It's no small project as 108 suicide attempts have been made on the Mapo Bridge in the last five years alone. The calming effect is accomplished with motion sensors that spit out encouraging messages, peaceful and positive images, and even jokes as pedestrians cross the busy bridge in near Seoul's financial district. The messages were conceived in collaboration with psychologists and suicide preventions specialists.
This is a great example of using outside-the-box thinking to turn a serious social problem into something more positive and encouraging.
Suicide Prevention Bridges
The Mapo Bridge in South Korea Discourages Suicide With Image and Sound
Trend Themes
1. Suicide Prevention Technology - There is a rising trend in creating technology to prevent suicide, such as using motion sensors to deliver calming messages.
2. Interactive Public Spaces - The trend of creating interactive public spaces can be seen in the Mapo Bridge's use of sound and visual displays to encourage positivity and discourage negative behaviors.
3. Mental Health Awareness Campaigns - There is a growing trend in spreading awareness about mental health and suicide prevention through campaigns and collaborations with mental health professionals.
Industry Implications
1. Technology - There is a great opportunity for tech companies to develop more advanced suicide prevention technology, such as AI-powered systems or wearables.
2. Architecture and Design - Architects and designers can create interactive public spaces that use sound, light, and other elements to encourage positive behaviors and discourage negative ones.
3. Healthcare - The healthcare industry can collaborate with mental health professionals to create public awareness campaigns about mental health and suicide prevention to help reduce stigma and encourage people to seek help.