# I wish google would quit fucking telling me to call 988 each time I do a search for anything controversial **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 1, 2024, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-google-would-quit-fucking-telling-me-to-call-988-each-time-i-do-a-search-for-anything-controversial/1005092 "2024-08-01T04:38:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-google-would-quit-fucking-telling-me-to-call-988-each-time-i-do-a-search-for-anything-controversial/1005092/41 "2024-10-25T13:41:35Z")
For some reason apparently I search for Suicidal Tendencies, the band, a lot. Google is very concerned about me. ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-google-would-quit-fucking-telling-me-to-call-988-each-time-i-do-a-search-for-anything-controversial/1005092/42 "2024-10-25T13:43:18Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > …but many of those are years or decades old and don’t particularly need reviving. And most of the ones that do get revived really should be put out of their misery. And mine. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-google-would-quit-fucking-telling-me-to-call-988-each-time-i-do-a-search-for-anything-controversial/1005092/43 "2024-10-25T16:18:15Z")
I guess got my first “988” referral. I’m used to getting “If this is a medical emergency, hang up and dial 911” every time I call a doctor’s office or when I call to schedule a trip on my local E-Z Rider disability transport, but today when I called one of my health insurance help lines in addition to the “call 911” message at the beginning at some point in the phone tree options I was told to call 988 if I was feeling depressed. I wasn’t at the time, although after providing my identifying info three times and having to endure yet another list of options, I was feeling murderous. Is there a help number for people with homicidal tendencies? ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-google-would-quit-fucking-telling-me-to-call-988-each-time-i-do-a-search-for-anything-controversial/1005092/44 "2024-10-25T16:23:11Z")
Will I get the suicide hotline if I ask Google Maps “McDonalds near me?” ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-google-would-quit-fucking-telling-me-to-call-988-each-time-i-do-a-search-for-anything-controversial/1005092/45 "2024-10-25T16:25:30Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > For some reason apparently I search for Suicidal Tendencies, the band, a lot. Google is very concerned about me. Don’t be searching for the M_A_S\*H theme song (Suicide is Painless). ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2024, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-google-would-quit-fucking-telling-me-to-call-988-each-time-i-do-a-search-for-anything-controversial/1005092/46 "2024-10-25T16:45:27Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Suicide is Painless > **[Screenshot-2024-10-25-124414 hosted at ImgBB](https://ibb.co/RytBrW8)** > > Image Screenshot-2024-10-25-124414 hosted in ImgBB ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2024, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-google-would-quit-fucking-telling-me-to-call-988-each-time-i-do-a-search-for-anything-controversial/1005092/47 "2024-10-27T00:31:17Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > It’s just you. I just searched “can trazodone stop a bad lsd trip’ due to its action on 5ht2a receptor” (with Trazadone misspelled like you did) and got no warning. Well? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2024, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-google-would-quit-fucking-telling-me-to-call-988-each-time-i-do-a-search-for-anything-controversial/1005092/48 "2024-10-27T05:55:09Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > can trazodone stop a bad lsd trip’ due to its action on 5ht2a receptor FWIW, same here. No warning. Why are these warnings bugging people? They’re easy enough to scroll past, and more useful than the top-loaded results of AI glurge, shopping websites, Twitter feeds, and other garbage they throw out at you these days. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2024, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-google-would-quit-fucking-telling-me-to-call-988-each-time-i-do-a-search-for-anything-controversial/1005092/49 "2024-10-27T13:35:54Z")
The issue is if you get the warning on your phone it comes with audio, and the audio gets annoying. Ive noticed it happens less often now. Maybe google got enough feedback ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2024, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-google-would-quit-fucking-telling-me-to-call-988-each-time-i-do-a-search-for-anything-controversial/1005092/50 "2024-10-27T13:40:26Z")
I don’t understand. If I google suicide on my phone, I don’t get any sort of audio. I didn’t think that was even something Google could do. Am I understanding correctly? Yes, that would be very annoying. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2024, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-google-would-quit-fucking-telling-me-to-call-988-each-time-i-do-a-search-for-anything-controversial/1005092/51 "2024-10-27T14:57:12Z")
I have never had audio on my phone on response to any Google search. That would drive me nuts. I only rarely get the 988 notice, mostly when i Google for suicide stats. I’ve always just ignored it. I’m with @pulykamell , that I’ve gotten used to ignoring large parts of the screen anyway. And i get a huge numbers of “if this is a medical emergency…” notices, including when renewing prescriptions. (really, is, “i must renew this prescription” what you think when you are in medical distress? That takes like a week.) I figure they are occasionally useful. My husband once got a call from his bridge partner when the guy was having a heart attack, and told him to hang up and call 911. I mean, it was nice to warn my husband he couldn’t play that evening, but he really could have done that AFTER calling for an ambulance, and hubby would have forgiven him if the guy hadn’t managed to let him know. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2024, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-google-would-quit-fucking-telling-me-to-call-988-each-time-i-do-a-search-for-anything-controversial/1005092/52 "2024-10-27T18:50:18Z")
Yeah, audio for such a thing sounds like a feature you enabled. I’ve never heard such a thing. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2024, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-google-would-quit-fucking-telling-me-to-call-988-each-time-i-do-a-search-for-anything-controversial/1005092/53 "2024-10-27T19:40:00Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > For some reason apparently I search for Suicidal Tendencies, the band, a lot. Google is very concerned about me. I would be, too. I’ve seen them live, back in the early 90s. They sucked. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2024, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-google-would-quit-fucking-telling-me-to-call-988-each-time-i-do-a-search-for-anything-controversial/1005092/54 "2024-10-27T19:56:28Z")
I once asked Chat GPT to write me a suicide note and it refused. It didn’t work when I asked it to write it in the style of Doctor Suess, either. I tried putting Suicide is Painless into a web search. I got the suicide hotline warning and hard to scroll down before I got MASH. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2024, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-google-would-quit-fucking-telling-me-to-call-988-each-time-i-do-a-search-for-anything-controversial/1005092/55 "2024-10-27T20:03:57Z")
I wonder about all the people that google for “suicide girls”… (don’t google for that term at work) ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-google-would-quit-fucking-telling-me-to-call-988-each-time-i-do-a-search-for-anything-controversial/1005092/56 "2024-10-28T14:54:47Z")
If my phone played any sort of audio unexpectedly I would certainly be annoyed, but the number of times a Google search has resulted in some sort of audio response is exactly zero (for me). ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-google-would-quit-fucking-telling-me-to-call-988-each-time-i-do-a-search-for-anything-controversial/1005092/57 "2024-10-28T15:01:53Z")
I’d be more than annoyed about that. Can you imagine sitting in school or work, looking something up, and getting an audio message telling you to call for help if you’re feeling suicidal. I mean, that would be obnoxious and possibly embarrassing for someone that’s not suicidal. Now imagine if you were suicidal and all your coworkers just found out. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-google-would-quit-fucking-telling-me-to-call-988-each-time-i-do-a-search-for-anything-controversial/1005092/58 "2024-10-28T15:15:04Z")
I see in the Google app there is a setting for answers to be read aloud, but even with it on I don’t get answers aloud. Maybe it’s just a CarPlay thing? I wish the OP would come back and explain what and how this is happening, on what device, what OS, app or webpage, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-google-would-quit-fucking-telling-me-to-call-988-each-time-i-do-a-search-for-anything-controversial/1005092/59 "2024-10-28T18:41:39Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I see in the Google app there is a setting for answers to be read aloud, but even with it on I don’t get answers aloud. Maybe it’s just a CarPlay thing? > > I wish the OP would come back and explain what and how this is happening, on what device, what OS, app or webpage, etc. I just asked google ‘suicide is painless’ and got the audio message about how you’re not alone and to call 988. I’m on a Samsung Galaxy A53. Android version 14, One UI version 6.1 and using google voice search. I don’t use carplay. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-google-would-quit-fucking-telling-me-to-call-988-each-time-i-do-a-search-for-anything-controversial/1005092/60 "2024-10-28T19:01:15Z")
Should it not be surprising that a Google Voice search resulted in an audio reply? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-google-would-quit-fucking-telling-me-to-call-988-each-time-i-do-a-search-for-anything-controversial/1005092.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-google-would-quit-fucking-telling-me-to-call-988-each-time-i-do-a-search-for-anything-controversial/1005092.md?page=4)