The death of tWitch has had major news headlines from various networks. Photo collage courtesy of junior of Diana Pruett.

  In 2020 alone over 1.2 million adults attempted suicide and the number continues to rise. Students may have seen on social media that artist Stephan Boss also known as tWitch has died due to suicide on December thirteenth. 

This came as a shock to his fans as he appeared upbeat on social media with regular posts with his wife and three children. tWitch appeared on talk show host Ellen Degeneress show as a DJ, host and producer for almost a decade with episodes featuring him dancing and cracking jokes. 

“I think that when people like that who have such a positive presence, commit, it just makes you realize that you don’t know what’s going on in everyone’s life,” said Senior Logan Johnson.

With suicide rates at an all time high this should be a wake up call. Although social media portrayed tWitch as carefree, often as viewers it is easy to think we are seeing the whole picture. It’s become standard on Social media and society to appear happy no matter how you truly feel which makes the conversation of mental health harder to bring up. 

tWitch was a creator who was uplifting and seemed to have an impact on the world as well in our SLOHS community. 

 “Yes, because I think it was really important for everyone to see that people can be silently struggling.” said Junior Charlotte Dierks.

This is not the first and will not be the last time we witness a suicide in the community or world, but hopefully this can shed light on mental health. If you are struggling or considering suicide it is encouraged to reach out to SLOHS counselor, the suicide hotline or someone trusted. 

Sources: Cdc.gov, Nytimes.com