I was just starting to enjoy being online and do things like facebook, twitter, and blogging. I then heard the news story about Tyler Clementi who killed himself after his room mate posted him online having a sexual encounter with another man. I couldn't believe that this had happened and that people would do such a thing to a fellow student. Harassment and hate have become (or always have been) a dark side of human behavior and now it is becoming clear that the internet is the prime vehicle for it. Let's just think about what we put online and who will read or view it. Not that most people would do something so cruel, but we need to remember how many people will see whatever we put up. Even if it's something that's just a little bit mean, we should think about how it will affect other people. And also let's get in touch with ourselves and figure out the root of why we do these things to others-if we are unhappy let's try to fix it so we don't lash out at other people.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/09/30/new.jersey.student.suicide/index.html?npt=NP1
http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/10/04/youth.cyberbullying.abuse/index.html
I wouldn't say the internet is the prime vehicle, but this was horrible. And the number of suicides recently over similar cyber-bully and bullying over someone's sexuality are horrifying. Things need to change.
ReplyDeleteI think it's just that the internet has made bullying (as so many other things) vastly easier and without immediate personal repercussion to the bully. I am deeply grateful not to have come of age in an era of instant publication and worldwide communication, for a number of reasons.
ReplyDeleteBut part of me--the part that was bullied--wants to take these people who drive their classmates to suicide, and rub their faces in the fact that they killed someone for absolutely no reason at all.