When somebody attaches the name of a social networking website and the word "suicide," we think of that tragedy in Missouri where 13-year-old Megan killed herself after a being taunted on MySpace. For the irreverent magazine AdBusters, "Facebook Suicide" is something else entirely. Based on the site's maniacal policy about removing one's profile, AdBusters has spotted a trend where users, desperate to leave the site but unable to easily do so, are killing themselves.

Because Facebook has intentionally made it very difficult for users to leave the site, demanding that they manually delete every bit of information that they added into the system before their account will be removed, a growing number of users are fleeing by committing what has been called “Facebook Suicide.” By manually removing their Facebook friends before deleting their account, indignant users ensure that their friends are fully aware of the real reasons why they are leaving.

The movement could reach epidemic levels if more users kill off their electronic selves rather than submit to corporate control over their friendships. Facebook, and the other corporate lackeys, will then learn that they can’t exploit our social relationships for profit. From viral growth will come a viral death as more people demand that Facebook dies so our friendships may thrive. [AdBusters]

Naturally, other media outlets have already tackled this topic, which means you should give the Times' Styles section exactly three weeks before they issue their own recycled take.