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On January 22nd, 2022, Ian Alexander Jr. tragically put an end to his life. The 26-year-old up and coming DJ and musician was the only son of Academy Award winning actress Regina King. The unexpected death caught widespread news coverage. Many media outlets uncovered Alexander’s troubling relationship with social media in the days leading up to his death.
Writer Keyaira Boone, in her 2022 article for Essence, “Regina King’s Son Ian Alexander Jr. Labeled Social Media ‘Unhealthy’ Prior To His Passing”, writes, “shortly before passing away from suicide, Ian Alexander Jr., 26, son of Regina King, declared social media to be unhealthy for his well-being… ‘I don’t think Instagram is healthy for me,’ wrote Alexander Jr., who deejayed under the stage name Desdune, in one of his final tweets… He used a popular image from SpongeBob Squarepants where the cartoon character is surrounded by tiny clones cloaked in wild flames to illustrate exactly how he was feeling to his followers.
Alexander’s death by suicide is the latest in what seems to be recurring theme of African American male suicide rates within the last 10-15 years, following 29-year-old YouTuber Desmond “Etika” Amofah’s death in 2019, 29-year-old actor Lee Thompson Young’s death in 2013, 34-year-old record executive Shakir Stewart death in 2008, and more.
According to data from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, in 2019, suicide was the second leading cause of death for Blacks or African Americans, ages 15 to 24. In 2018, the death rate from suicide for Black or African American men was four times greater than for African American women.
Though recent reports only show Alexander’s cause of death and only seem to hypothesize the events and thoughts of the 26-year-old leading up to his death, it is important to not insinuate and create false narratives and deviate from information that has been presented by his family. There is no doubt that Alexander’s death and the conversation it has created surrounding social media, anxiety, and suicide is not without important significance and can be used to further emphasize the importance of mental health.
Writer Tanesha Peeples, in her 2022 article for The Black Wall Street Times, “Suicide of Ian Alexander Should Ring The Alarm On The Mental Health Crisis”, writes, “the passing of Ian Alexander Jr. should remind us that we have to be more vigilant. We need more mental health spaces and outlets for youth to express themselves so that they know their lives matter and are worth living… it’s been exacerbated by the pandemic and manifests itself in different ways. When we talk about Black lives mattering, we have to consider all of them and the ways they’re impacted by systemic oppression—not just the ones murdered by police.”
For access to resources and someone to speak with, refer to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or suicidepreventionlifeline.com
