I'm a huge lover of social media, and I'm guessing anyone reading this also is. Thinking back to life pre-Bebo (as it was for me...) is quite literally impossible, and now with Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest and Instagram (to name but a few of my personal favourites), it seems that anything we do/see/anyone we speak to/plans we make or regrets we have are posted onto numerous social networking sites. I don't really believe people should know all the ins and outs of your life through Facebook however, and to be honest over-informative status' really grate me; I could cancel my Facebook account right now if it wasn't for the amount of photographs I have, it is like an online photo album for me!
I like to believe that, money and fame aside, Facebook was created for purely positive reasons, to increase social interaction among college students, and in time, the world. As we all know, its been very successful in doing this. However as with everything there is normally a down-side, and with social media this downside can have disastrous consequences.
So, what I'm really getting to. This is a post I've wanted to write for a long time, I've had far too many opportunities to do so, however this years
anti-bullying week ends today, and to be honest this comes at just the right time for me and this post!
Anyone who knows me/reads these posts will be aware that my youngest brother has Tourettes and due to this has had to unfortunately leave school, being successfully taught from home at the minute. This would in a 'social media free world' have little-to-no impact regarding bullying; if another child had something negative to say they would have to pluck up the courage to come and say it face-to-face, where, lets be honest, there is a greater chance to resolve the problem. However social networking sites, Facebook in particular for the younger generation, gives children the platform from which to bully others cowardly; a lot can be said from the safety of your own home, behind the screen of your computer and more often than not, what is said can be a lot harsher or more exaggerated than would ever be said face-to-face. It is so easy to leave a comment, like a post or get involved in a discussion about someone you don't even know, based purely on the fact that a) it is online so there are assumed to be no repercussions and b) socially, it keeps your name up there with your friends, supporting what they are writing even though you may not, deep down, agree with it.
It was quite apt timing I thought when we were dealing with the after-effects of yet another harsh Facebook status targeted towards Josh, that I found out it was anti-bullying week. I read said status and was appalled by what a young teenager can write and threaten over the internet. What disgusted me further was when words such as 'retard' are used to describe someone with Tourettes, teenagers (or young adults of society) are 'liking' it into the double figures. Add on top of this comments on said status about 'giving someone a hiding' and references to 'knives' and you have a truly horrendous read, all the while wondering if these children really mean or could carry out what they threaten online.
We've all seen the stories in the news and in the papers on children/young adults who take their own life (or attempt to) because of cyber bullying, and at times I have said the same as a lot of people, 'Why didn't they talk to someone about it?' or 'It could never have been that bad.' I guess its easy to think that what is said on the internet can be forgotten, that what is said face-to-face is worse. I now believe this really is not the case however, a threatening or nasty status from one individual targeted directly at another is not as personal as something said directly; friends/acquaintances and people you may not even know join in to like posts, share the status, post something related on their own page, target your family or give their uneducated opinion, which results in the targeted individual feeling totally humiliated, isolated and alone. I won't go into the ins and outs of what we have dealt with over the past few days, especially when the target sits and reads what is being written about him, that reaction will never be a nice one to see, especially when it is your brother. What I will say however is that it does truly shock and sadden me that Facebook can be used in this way. It was never invented for this, so why do children now feel the need to bully and torment others through it?
As Anti-Bullying Week says, 'We're better without bullying', and we are so much better without it. Take this slogan on board and if you ever see a case of cyber bullying, think of the individual sitting at home who may just have too much to deal with already. Report it and try to put an end to this faceless form of bullying, and bullying in general. Social media is there to be enjoyed, not to be used to hurt others.
