Dennis Schouten causes a shock with his revelation that he wants to end his life within the next ten years. But there is also a lot of disbelief. Logical, says a Volkskrant lady.
28-year-old Dennis Schouten says he only wants to live for ‘a few more years’ because of feelings of emptiness, loneliness and unrest. According to him, it is getting worse, despite medication and therapies. “I know they are not right, but I cannot get them out of my body,” said the presenter, best known for the YouTube show RoddelPraat.
‘Buy my book!’
It is striking that Dennis’ wish for euthanasia arouses a lot of distrust. Some people don’t believe him and think this is purely to get his new book sold. They suspect de Volkskrant a rather tasteless PR stunt: “Hey guys I want to die, buy my book!”
Emma Curvers, columnist for the newspaper, thinks it is significant. “Gossip talk comes up against the moral emptiness of their self-created world. If you create a culture that lacks any humanity, you can expect little empathy in return.”
Annoying horde
It’s a matter of your own fault, that’s what Emma wants to say. “If the truth is nothing more to you than an annoying hurdle on the way to clicks, at some point you will no longer be believed.”
She continues: “Even Dennis Schouten deserves better than his own audience. He himself says that he wants to continue with Gossip Talk for as long as possible, and live for as short a time as possible – I would say: turn that around, then you will help everyone.”
You can talk about suicidal thoughts anonymously: chat via www.113.nlcall 113 or call free 0800-0113.
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Dennis about his death wish: