Sun Danyong was just 25 when he jumped out of his Shenzhen, China apartment. Days before he lost track of one of 14 4th generation iPhones his company, Foxconn, was working on. What’s saddest about his death is that the pressure Danyong felt just before it pushed him to his untimely demise was created by a device whose success came mostly at the hands of powerful branding.
Social pressure and China are one in the same and according to VentureBeat the story of Danyong’s end is not an uncommon one. Work pressures have gotten to the best of many, but in China where understanding and resources are infinitely limited compared to western culture, work-related suicide is all too common. Especially when external factors are in play. Read this story and you’ll be fast-reminded that everything in life has a cost.
“On Thursday, July 9th, Sun got 16 prototype phones from the assembly line at a local Foxconn factory. At some point in the next few days, he discovered that one of the phones was missing. He suspected that it had been left at the factory, but couldn’t find it. On Monday, July 13, he reported the missing phone to his boss. Then, that Wednesday, three Foxconn employees searched his apartment — illegally, according to Chinese law. Accusations are flying that Sun was detained and physically abused during the investigation, although this has not been substantiated (possible evidence: there’s this somewhat garbled and potentially faked instant message exchange from Sun shortly before his death).”
Clearly, the link to Apple is almost coincidental. Had this death occurred because of a Zune I’m not sure it would have gotten press.
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