Wounded by Words: Cyber Bullying
(London Graphics Systems, 2014)
'Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me..' In primary school I would sing this little rhyme with friends not knowing how incorrect it was. I wish someone would have told my 6 year old self to choose my words carefully as they have the power to destroy. I've hurt and been hurt by words. Most often it's when text becomes miscommunicated via digital means, used too many exclamation marks, typed in all caps, short responses all often get interpreted in an offensive manner. Sadly, people across all ages, particularly Gen Z, are hurt by more than miscommunication. They are victims to the keyboard warriors, bigots, trolls and can have life altering affects.
âSocial media has not radically altered the dynamics of bullying, but it has made these dynamics more visible to more people. We must use this visibility, not to justify increased punishment, but to help youth who are actually crying out for attention. Blaming technology or assuming that conflict will disappear if technology usage is minimised is naive.â (Boyd 2014 pg152)Â
The term bigot is believed to date back to at least 1958 where it was used to define religious hypocrites in their use of words âbi godâ. Bullies, trolls, bigots all long outlive the 21st century, just because these people may use new weapons it does not mean its a 'new problemâ. The difference is âhomeâ is no longer a safe haven, due the the internet and the rise of social media bullies are now able to enter the victims bedroom continue to bully the person where it should be a safe environment. (Lloyd, 2014)
What can we do?
'Although bigotry is not considered illegal it is an issue that can corrode our school, work, and personal environment. It can weaken relationships between family, friends, neighbours, and co-workers.' (Nobullying.com, 2014). As the cyberbullying realm is relatively new the laws surrounding the issue are still being developed and its important that social media sites are monitored and fall under a governing body. Â
I believe the solution lies in the prevention through the means of education. 'As adolescents we had no concept of how our actions could or would affect another person' ( (Michael, 2015). Teaching about bullying isn't just a highschool issue, it needs to begin young and place values in children that they grow up understanding the effect they can have. Through teaching both in the classroom and at home we can begin to inform those from young children that the little rhyme lied, that in fact words can take a life.Â
What mindsets or rhymes where you taught as a child that you now realise are unethical or similar?
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References
Boyd, D 2014, 'Bullying: Is the Media Amplifying Meanness and Cruelty?', in Itâs Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens, Yale University Press, New Haven, USA, pp 128-52.
Lloyd, A. (2014). The Dangerous World of Cyber-bullying. [online] Eaglestrategies - Strategic Social Media Class of the Mayborn School of Journalism at the University of North Texas. Available at: http://eaglestrategies.blogspot.com.au/2014/10/cyber-bullying.html [Accessed 9 Jan. 2015].
London Graphics Systems, (2014). âStop Cyberbullying Dayâ. [image] Available at: http://www.londongraphicsystems.co.uk/helping-stop-cyberbullying-day/ [Accessed 10 Jan. 2015].
Michael, E. (2015). Week 7: Presentation on Trolling & Social Media Conflict. Swinburne Online Discussion Board. [Accessed 9 Jan. 2015].
Nobullying.com, (2014). Being a Bigot and Its Effect on Society. [online] Available at: http://nobullying.com/bigot/ [Accessed 9 Jan. 2015].