What is bullying? Bullying used to happen face to face, one on one, five against one. Most people would agree that was how the majority of bullying was done, not today. Today's world is much more complex then that, you can bully someone without them even knowing your real name, or even what you look like. No, today you can conveniently hurt someone via text message, e-mail, and internet, more specifically Facebook and other social networking sites, cyber bullying. Some might say, "Well why would you care if it was someone you didn't know, someone that meant nothing to you?" Bullying is still hurtful and mentally harmful whether it's coming from your best friend or someone across the country, a person is still coming after you.
People are getting hurt all the time via text message, e-mail, facebook, maybe not necessarily being bullied but things are misconstrued 24/7. It doesn't help that very young kids are now allowed on facebook where they can gang up on others the same way you would face to face but now it's easier and there is usually no one around to stop them. There has been a trend emerging on Facebook called Formspring.me where anyone can anonymously ask you anything they want. Recently cyber bullying has been leading to suicides, how far is too far? Media is becoming increasingly powerful but it is because of society. Media is compelling and dynamic all by itself but we activate it, we bring it to the next level because it is so present in today's world.
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Online bullying is pretty scary. I guess the fact that people are physically separated might make some people feel like it's okay?
ReplyDeleteI'm way beyond my teen years and I can't imagine how devastating this kind of bullying must be. Hurtful words stay often stay with us long after time has passed. Really upsetting...
Online bullying reminds me how true the saying "the word is mightier than the sword" is and why we must be very aware of today's social media like Twitter and Facebook. These networks give a flase sense of anonomitity nnd open the way for people to say things they would not risk saying face-to-face.
ReplyDeleteI think it is a shame that forms of mass media and social networking are being used to promote bullying. These forms of communication can often foster creativity and self expression, which when the bully's are now using as arsenal against their victims. I can see how this often takes place in adolescence as it is a time when people are figuring out who they are, and who they are going to become; even the bully's! While they may feel on the outside a strong sense of self, anyone who truly loves themselves does not inflict intentional harm on others simply because of who that person is.
ReplyDeleteLauren's viewpoint is very poignant and real. While this unfortunate reality lurks over everyone who uses social media networks as a means of communication... good and bad... we still use it to relay messages and the worst part is words are doing harm... real distructive force is put behind these words and intention is out of what I believe these networks were built for. better controls need to be put in place and if someone has so much distain for someone else then they need to find it in themselves to get help and come to grips with what the REAL issue is... many of the suicides we hear stem from social media networking messages that are meant to control someone else... what are we teaching our children???
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lauren's perspective. Chances are you already have a pretty good idea what bullying is and how it happens. But is bullying really that bad? It is a question that is being asked more regularly as young children under the age of 13 are becoming victims of bullying so significant that they are opting to take their own lives rather than to continue dealing with a bully. This suggests that yes, bullying really is that bad. Whether it is just one child bullying another or one bully taking advantage of several others, there is no question that bullying has no place these social networking systems or over the cell phone and should not be tolerated under any circumstances.
ReplyDeleteLauren's blog on this subject makes an important distinction between the bullying that occurred in times past and what goes on in today's world. Because the internet has now provided today's bully with a means of putting others down right from the safety of their bedroom, without having to actually face their victim, more of these cowards have jumped on the bandwagon. This is compounded by the fact that in some cases, the bully is hidden by total anonymity, making it even more attractive to the spineless people who choose to victimize others in this way because there is very little chance that they would ever face any consequences for their actions. Back in the days of our parents, if a kid was picking on another kid on the playground, he/she risked getting punched in the face or at least punished by an adult. Now, the media has enabled bullies to inflict the wounds and just SIGN OFF.
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