After watching the “Growing Up Online Documentary”, I became very concerned about cyber bullying and how it affects teens in society. It makes me sad to know that teens throughout the world are being affected severely by cyber bullying and some are even committing suicide because of it.
The boy in the documentary was cyber bullied by another classmate who told him a girl liked him, but it was all a joke. He researched online about ways to take his own life. He even found a blog of another teenager online who was encouraging him to commit suicide. He ended up going through with his plan and hung himself.
In my mind this brings up two red flags about teenagers being online: the content of information that is available to them online and cyber bullying in general. I think it is important for teenagers to be monitored while online and have a limited amount of time they are allowed to be online. Parents should inform their children about cyber bullying and how to stay safe online whether they are researching for a school project or staying connected to their friends through Facebook.
Parents need to be aware of what their teens are doing online and occasionally ask to see their blogs or Facebook pages. My little brother is 4 years younger than me and there have been times when my friends ask me if I have seen his latest post on Facbook or some picture he has posted. Although I may sound like the nagging big sister, I will talk to my parents about what he has posted if I feel like he is portraying himself in a derogatory way or there is potential for him to get in trouble. If parents will talk to their teens and monitor what they are doing online this can reduce cyber bullying.
I found an online resource for teens and parents about tips for staying safe online (http://www.teenzeen.org/tips-for-staying-safe-on-the-internet.html). The website gives information about what cyber bullying is, what not to post about yourself online and tips for parents of teens online. I think resources like these are essential in keeping teenagers safe while going online.
I agree with everything you are saying in your blog. It really breaks my heart that several kids are playing victim to these types of activities. I follow Andersen Cooper on twitter, and today, he tweeted that a kid had just acted as a victim to the bullying and he in fact killed himself. This really confuses me as to what justification children think they are getting out of this rather than, tearing apart another child's feelings. I'm glad that you can relate to this argument as I see it sickening and almost as a growing epidemic that needs to be stopped!
ReplyDeleteI also found the "Growing Up Online" documentary incredibly heart-wrenching. These poor children are having awful experiences online, and yet where are they searching for answers? Online. Parents absolutely need to monitor what their children are doing on the internet. More importantly, they need to monitor their children's dependence on the web. There must be clearly defined boundaries between cyber life and reality.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you're saying. It horrible to think that with the advancement of technology the results can be cyber-bullying and can really destroy a kids self esteem. Kids need to be more cautious with the information that they are sharing with everyone on the internet. Kids should also know the boundaries between what happens online compared to offline.
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