Joanne’s son had been a bright, popular teenager and a gifted athlete when he took his own life, in August 2016. But it was only when police checked the gaming and social media accounts of 16 year old James Doherty that they learned what had tipped him over the edge. Watch: Screenagers - The Digital Dilemma now on Shots! TV On Demand. Now, in a powerful TV documentary, the suicide-bereaved parent shares her son’s story as part of a debate about the harms of children using social media.
” James had recently passed all his GCSE’s and seemed to be enjoying his job as a lifeguard. But, unbeknown to his mother, he owed someone £400 and had received a threatening message on his X-Box account, two days before his death. It was an eye-opener for Joanne, who has since suicide bereavement support group, and a charity called Doherty’s Destiny.