Cyberbullying: The Good Old Days Without It
Jul 10th, 2008 by squizzmaster
In the last couple of years as I approach thirty, the fact that I am no longer considered a member of the “current” generation has become more and more apparent. Clothing that people in their early twenties wear is inappropriate for me; I shake my fist at movies, music and in the general direction of media. I am no longer in the target audience and it gets to me until I remember that this always has, is and will happen to every generation.
ON THE FLIPSIDE
Just like my parents and their parents before them I am thankful for the aspects of my younger days that the current generation are not privy to and one of those I am most grateful for is the absence of technology, namely, the internet, digital cameras and mobile phones. This is for a number of reasons including the social crippling and health detriments, but one thing I thing that is a standout danger to me is the cyber bullying.
You often hear and see examples in the media of cyber bullying and one such prominent case is that of Megan Meier who committed suicide 2006.
REWIND
I will be honest; when I was in high school I was rarely the victim of bullying and may even have been a pain in the side of those that were. I was however never out to intentionally destroy anyone’s lives.
BUT
- As teenagers, would the internet have been a weapon we would all have been capable of misusing during moments of erratic hormone levels, mood swings and warped judgement?
- How easy it would have been to obtain embarrassing or incriminating photo/video footage on digital cameras or mobile phones?
- How easy then it would have been to distribute such footage via emails, directly from mobile phones or published to the web for the entire world to see.
- The speed and convenience of all these tools would have removed the burden of time to reflect upon our actions.
Thank god we didn’t have the technology youngins have these days. Growing up in the 90s could have been worse. I’m glad I’m generation X.
Cyber socialising sucks too! I refuse to go to facebook or any type of social networking sites because it tend to make people lazy to keep in touch with you as they could just simply write you a message and they’d call that keeping in touch. I feel that they’re not truly my friend until they make an effort to have a chat or two on the phone or meet up.
Recently I was watching this reality TV Show - Totally Jodie Marsh. Jodie Marsh’s Jordan’s equivalent (The UK Glamour Model also known as Katie Price). Her show’s about looking for people to audition to be in her show with the outcome of the chosen guy marrying her.
When she actually held the auditions, no one turned up. One of her comments were, how come people didn’t turn up while in my MySpace, they all posted message saying they’d come and will definetely go for a chance to marry me.
Again, it proves how convinient it is to SAY rather than DO. That’s why I hate all these social networking sites. If one day you happen to die, none of the people would turn up to your funeral because they could just simply WRITE you a message on your MySpace or Facebook and say - RIP buddy!