Christabel Duah
After his shocking suicide video scandal, YouTuber Logan Paul has resurfaced with a new message, but not everyone is rallying around him just yet.
Videos by Rare
The 22-year-old internet star posted a video on Wednesday titled, “Suicide: Be Here.” In it, he met with Paul Hines, a survivor of a suicide attempt, and spoke to people who were educated on the sensitive issue.
RELATED: Logan Paul says he deserves a second chance — and people have strong opinions
“Kevin Hines was 19 when he jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge,” Paul said in the video. “He is one of the many incredible people I’ve been grateful to meet over the past three weeks as I aim to further understand the complexities surrounding suicide. And I know I’ve made mistakes. I know I’ve let people down. But what happens when you’re given an opportunity to help make a difference in the world.”
Paul admitted his ignorance and pledged to donate $1 million to suicide prevention organizations including the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
“It’s time to learn from the past as I get better and grow as a human being,” he added. “I’m here to have a hard conversation so those who are suffering can have easier ones.”
The 22-year-old internet star was met with swift outrage after his original video in which he filmed himself with a corpse in the Japanese “suicide forest.” Even after tweeting out a statement of apology and followup video, YouTube pulled him from their official partner channels, put an end to his monetized videos and halted production on his upcoming branded projects.
Based on his new video and old antics, the public is split on their opinion of the disgraced YouTuber.
One YouTuber, Jimmy Wong, pointed out that Paul’s PSA shouldn’t be the end of his changes.
“If you are truly changing, then it should show in every video you make from here on out. It DOES NOT END with a well timed PR piece, where you wash your face and hands in slowmo, have a new haircut, and speak with a somber affectation.”
So I'm putting you on the spot @LoganPaul – if you are truly changing, then it should show in every video you make from here on out. It DOES NOT END with a well timed PR piece, where you wash your face and hands in slowmo, have a new haircut, and speak with a somber affectation.
— Jimmy Wong (@jfwong) January 24, 2018
Another user noted that while the new video was “interesting,” there’s more to be discussed.
This was interesting to say the least. But I still think theres some things to talk about here. https://t.co/ArggEGr3jV
— Walko_flocko_flame (@stephen_walko) January 24, 2018
Twitter user @TheLazyKidOfJoy, on the other hand, praised him for an “incredible” video.
“I honestly thought Logan Paul could never come back from what he has done. But I am happy to be proven wrong by him. His new video is incredible and truly shows that he wants to change for the better of the world and himself.”
https://twitter.com/TheLazyKidOfJoy/status/956240267920646144
While the debate goes on over whether or not Paul’s prevention video is enough to revitalize his tainted image, spreading true awareness about suicide and prevention is definitely notable.
