Why use the word unaliving?

[MaggieMistletoe]

Where has this term come from? I keep seeing it all over mumsnet and have done for a while. Is there something wrong with saying 'he committed suicide' or 'I thought about taking my own life'. I am baffled by how commonplace this word has become and I'm wondering if there is a reason behind it or if its just a silly trend?

because any posts, videos, comments using the normal words get blocked, or removed by common platforms.

It's to get round filters on social media like Instagram etc but it's slipped in to every day use.

I haven't seen it on Mumsnet but on other social medias, like Instagram and tiktok, they use the term "unaliving" because "suicide" gets blocked by the algorithm.

Because people think they sound clever/quirky by saying it.

Proof (if it were needed) that "AI" is All Shite.

Many sites have filters in place to automatically block the type of posts that actively encourage the behaviour, including methods etc.

Sadly though it's a part of life and people want to talk about it, so this term has become popular.

Many people don't like the language of 'committing' suicide as it harks back to the time when it was illegal

I think it is a way to confuse the algorithm that flags up potentially offensive/triggering words that will get your video taken down on youtube or the suchlike for breaking community guidelines.

Aside of the new use of ‘unaliving’ the phrase committed suicide (used in OP) is now outdated as it harks back to a time when it was illegal , and you were therefore committing a crime.

It comes from TikTok, where saying suicide is banned, and it's spread to all other social medias

I'm not sure why you think AI is the culprit.

There are simple word filters in many apps - "dead", "kill", "suicide", "shoot", etc. get posts deleted instantly.

I have seen it most often on YouTube. Some creators have explained that if they don't use it their videos get either removed, demonetized or age-restricted.

I think the approach stems from the suicide of Molly Russell and other similar reported cases.

I saw it today for the first time, on Mumsnet. I assumed it was a considered choice to use it in case readers found the word 'suicide' to be triggering.

Presumably the algorithm will get wise to unaliving as well in time and it will turn into the Monty Python Dead Parrot sketch.

This is the first time I've seen that word. WTAF!
It's ridiculous. Did this come from the same therapist that coined the "conscious uncoupling" phrase.
I do despair

Like others have said, it's so vloggers can reference murder/suicide without their video being flagged for inappropriate content.

I'm surprised you've seen it 'all over' mumsnet. It's common elsewhere online, yes, but I've never actually seen it on here before. It would be a bit weird as there's no such filter blocking words, which is the primary reason people use it on other channels, not because they think it's a better word.

As a pp has explained, while not the reason for other places censoring it, there actually is something "wrong" with "committed suicide" as it suggests the individual has committed a crime, which could understandably upset the deceased person's family/friends.

I stopped using "commit" suicide because I'm not Catholic so consider it neither a sin nor a crime. It sounds slightly off to say suicide without the "commit" so I tend to say "killed herself" or "died by suicide".
However I hate the trend for blocking out the vowels in certain words like drugs or guns or dead. It actually makes the brain focus more on those words.
Certain words get replaced because they are considered rude or impolite then eventually the new word carries the connotations of the old word. Like "mental retardation" has gone through several terms before landing on "learning disability" and toilet used to be a euphemism and now it just means toilet (loo, bog, lav) without "attend to my appearance" - I expect unalive to go the same way. It means killed, not just one's-self.

This 100%.

"Took his own life" is the correct term.

I do believe in some ''Softening'' language. I may be mistaken but I seem to recall that having a pet ''Put to sleep'' used to called, "Having the animal destroyed."

This is a maudlin thread, isn't it?

I haven't heard the term unaliving, but am familiar with the rephrasing of language around suicide to reduce the stigma associated with this and to increase communication and support for people who are vulnerable to suicidal ideation and intent. The links below explain this better than I can

https://www.suicideinfo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/language-matters-safe-communication-suicide-prevention-pub-eng-1.pdf

https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/news/why-language-matters/rethinking-language-suicide

It tends to be an American word and unfortunately where they start the UK seems to follow. My DB ended his own life and I'm not offended by the word suicide

No, PP was correct. It’s because posts/comments on most platforms get automatically flagged and removed if they use the usual word.

That doesn't explain people using it verbally.