HW 9: Waldman

Though I concede that Ayelet Waldman may have committed suicide if she had not written her thoughts and feelings in her blog, I still insist that personal information such as Waldman’s should not be intended for the public. Waldman describes her second-to-last post, a suicide note, that “blogging saved me because enough people saw it and said, ‘Jesus Christ. She’s not okay’” (Kline 313). Waldman may have been accurate when describing how she got better by using blogs to release tension and stress in her life. However, I disagree with her when she says that blogging and online journals are a type of way to help with their illnesses. I believe that by writing in a personal journal, she would’ve got the help that she needed. She would’ve eventually understood that she needed care and she was a smart enough woman to seek for it. Online journals shouldn’t be the substitute for psychiatric care. People with problems need to seek help by talking to others around them or finding professionals who will. Everyday individuals shouldn’t be put in the position of Doctor when just wanting to view someone’s opinion. If I had read Waldman’s blog, I would feel responsible for her health and that’s not fair to me. It’s not my responsibility to help others who need special care from licensed professionals. Waldman put her own problems into others’ lives, and that’s not fair at all to the viewer. If Waldman wanted help, she should’ve told someone other than every common person looking for something to read.