By way of UK news website Mirror, is a report of a teen suicide related to an excessive Xbox bill. Henry Tattersall, age 13, unfortunately ended his life after he unintentionally amassed a £420 bill due to buying games over his Xbox. Tattersall hanged himself presumably due to guilt over the matter. Henry suffered from ADHD and behavioral issues and was prone to “extreme reactions” to change.
The incident occurred last November, but mentions of the Xbox bill as a presumed motivation were recently reported. Evidently, Henry showed genuine surprise when he found out that he spent that much money on Xbox games and even told his mother to take money from his savings account.
Shortly before the act, reports state that the boy spoke to his girlfriend online and told her that he was going to kill himself. The suicide of his friend Declan Gattenby, who hanged himself last July, was brought up in the conversation. Henry was apparently found hanging from his bed by his sister.
Suicide is a very saddening occurrence, especially for someone so young as Henry. As stated by Henry's family, his death was a "massive avoidable loss".
I'd like to take the time to point out that things like this are most certainly avoidable by suggesting that you take a look at TakeThis.Org, a depression awareness resource by Joystiq Managing Editor Susan Arendt and Polygon Features Editor Russ Pitts. This may be a segue, but a valuable one, I think. Those facing depression or emotional issues might not ask for help, but they could probably use it.
