SoylentNews

Suicides Among Japanese Young People Hit 30-Year High

posted by Fnord666 on Wednesday November 07 2018, @04:32PM   
from the alarming-statistics dept.

takyon writes:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-46096626

In the fiscal year 2016/7 up to March, 250 children from elementary to high school age were recorded as having taken their own lives. The number is five more than last year, and the highest it has been since 1986.

Concerns the children had reported included family problems, worrying about their futures and bullying. But schools said the reasons behind about 140 of the deaths are unknown as the students did not leave a note. Most of those who took their lives were of high school age, where Japanese students typically study until they are aged 18.

[...] Overall suicides across Japan fell to about 21,000 in 2017, police say, down from a peak of about 34,500 in 2003.

[...] "The number of suicides of students have stayed high, and that is an alarming issue which should be tackled," education ministry official Noriaki Kitazaki said as the latest figures were released.

---

Original Submission

• Re:Why Does The Economy Need To Grow To Prosper? Re:Why Does The Economy Need To Grow To Prosper? (Score: 2) by urza9814 on Thursday November 08 2018, @02:42PM (1 child)

  by urza9814 (3954) on Thursday November 08 2018, @02:42PM (#759370) Journal

  However, the Gini index will stabilize eventually because a Gini index of 1 is impossible (Gini of 1 means a single person own everything, 0: everyone owns the same).

  It's bounded; but that does not prove that it must stabilize. sin(x) cannot exceed 1, but the value still won't ever stabilize. And even if it does stabilize, that doesn't mean that the point where at which is stabilizes will be sustainable for humanity. A nuclear war that wiped out all of humanity would certainly be one way to force it to stabilize...but that's probably not a preferred solution by anyone.

  So your assertion that the "bankers" have to be fed continuously is not true.

  Never heard of an asymptotic function?

  Also even if the Gini index is on the rise, growth is not required. If productivity increases, that leaves new wealth to be redistributed without an absolute change. IMO this is what makes societies stable at the moment are the moment (the rich become richer but still everyone can buy the new cell phone every other year).

  Not everything gains productivity at the same rate though. Look at our own society today -- sure, basic smartphones and laptops keep getting cheaper, but the real cost of healthcare or education are rapidly increasing. Rising productivity means that manufactured goods get cheaper, but it can also make human labor more expensive (if a man-hour is more productive, then it's more valuable), which increases costs in labor-intensive industries. Being able to afford a new iPhone every month doesn't necessarily make your life better if you can't afford to see a doctor anymore...

  Parent

  Starting Score:	1		point
  Karma-Bonus Modifier		+1
  Total Score:		2

• Re:Why Does The Economy Need To Grow To Prosper? (Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 08 2018, @03:33PM

  by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 08 2018, @03:33PM (#759388)

  A nuclear war that wiped out all of humanity would certainly be one way to force it to stabilize

  No, it would actually make it undefined (division by zero).

  Parent