The days of playground bullying are so far gone compared to the type of bullying that is taking place over chat rooms and emails. Everyday people are harassed and made fun of over social media and it is only a matter of time before someone will reach their breaking point and do something terrible to either themselves or someone else. In this case a teenage girl was a victim of a cyber hoax that eventually led to her suicide. There needs to be more of an emphasis to protect children from internet bullying. In many cases the hurt that can be caused from words can be just as bad as physical punishment. Many people overlook this problem but in this day and age, the problem is real and this is a prime example of what could happen if things do not change.
Posted by: therea1long | February 18, 2011
Cyber Bullying Leads to Teen Suicide
Posted in Uncategorized
Strategically Communicating 
I have to disagree about this. There is not going to be any way to deal with the problem. Social media is too popular currently. The bully might as well be saying it to the person’s face; so shame on them for that, but the real issue is character. How could a person allow someone to get them down to that level? That may sound heartless, but sometimes people need to have some self-confidence and rise above on their own.
By: sytsma6 on February 18, 2011
at 11:58 pm
I agree with your post because there are more and more stories of teenagers committing suicide because of online bullying. It’s not an issue of character or self-confidence because the computer and social media is an enabler for bullying. It is easier for kids to bully online rather than in person because they can get away with it. That’s the problem, online bullies get away with it and it’s something that’s not talked about. There has also been a huge issue in the media of some teens being bullied for the sexuality online and killing themselves because of it.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/victim-secret-dorm-sex-tape-commits-suicide/story?id=11758716
And here is a link to a story where an adult created a fake online profile of a boy to bully a teenage girl.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3882520&page=1
By: Ashley Sanders on February 19, 2011
at 1:04 am
Confidence doesn’t come easily for everyone. I grew up with really high expectations that seemed extremely difficult to meet. I was really hard on myself while growing up and still am now. The hardest time I had with myself was when I was in middle school-around the same age as the girl in the article. I can’t say I would blame the child at all. I would say more than anything that parents need to pay more attention to what their children are doing online and to set more site blocks. If they are highly involved and talk to their children enough about safety issues regarding the use of the Internet, their children will pay more attention to how they are spending their time. At the age of 12, we’re already educated about puberty and sex in school. We should also start implementing Internet safety as a part of the lesson plan starting in middle school when preteens start using the Internet.
By: Linda Lam on February 22, 2011
at 1:06 am
I think the real problem is that technology and social networking / media sites are becoming too accessible for young adults who are not responsible or mature enough to recognize the impact of their actions. I am so glad that I grew up before this chaos ensued so that I could focus on being a silly, goofy kid without having to worry if my friends will judge or comment about it online. I feel bad for the pre-teens and teens who have to put up with all this Internet clutter. They are far to young to understand their decisions and presence online makes them responsible for the good and bad words being written and photos being taken.
By: austingraceblythe on February 22, 2011
at 10:58 pm