Cyberbullying: We HAVE to speak out and work together to stop this and all forms of bullying, intolerance and prejudice!!
I wrote this a while ago but for some reason I didn't post it (I just saw that it was still listed as a "draft"!). Given the recent events at UMD I though I would still post this, as sadly it is more important than ever for us to stand up and speak out against cyberbullying (and every other kind too!). This past week, a conservative campus youth group, Youth for Western Civilization, was handing out pocket U.S. Constitutions at the University of MN Duluth (UMD). A representative from Youth for Western Civilization videotaped and selectively edited the video of an interaction between him, the UMD Director of the Office of Cultural Diversity, and the UMD President of the Black Students' Association. This video was then posted on the website of another conservative student organization, Campus Reform along with the contact information (phone and email) of the UMD Director of the Office of Cultural Diversity. This, in turn, was posted on the website of another right wing group, The Blaze.
Since then, both the Director and the BSA student president have been receiving hundreds of threatening phone calls and emails in an orchestrated campaign of intimidation. The effect has not only been devastating on these individuals, but also on the students for whom the UMD Multicultural Center is a safe haven -- many of whom are still traumatized by the events of last year surrounding a horrific, racist event on Facebook at UMD.
Also recently in the news: an article in Digital Life Today about the apparent suicide of a young gay teen, Jamey Rodemeyer, as the result of bullying. Read this article -- it describes the traumatic experiences of this 14 year old boy who was relentlessly persecuted through cyberbullying because of his sexual orientation.
I know that there are critics of social media who blame these tools when they are used for cyberbullying. I would argue that the tools themselves are not the problem, but rather the ways in which they can be used by people intent on intimidating and harming others. As I argued below in my earlier post written in 2010, every time any of us witness any kind of bullying (cyber or other) and do nothing to try to stop it, then we become collaborators in perpetuating the cycle of cyberviolence. So next time you see someone on your Facebook wall post something that is hurtful of others, respond (not privately as a message, but publicly on their wall) so they and others can see that this kind of behavior is not acceptable. Thanks everyone! :)
Blog post originally written in 2010: The senseless and tragic suicide of Tyler Clementi, a gay college student this week who took his own life because of cyberbullying has me feeling outraged and more determined than ever to work to try to educate anyone I can about how essential it is for EVERYONE to speak out and act to stop intolerance and prejudice.
For those of us who are in education, especially those of us who teach people how to use the Internet and other forms of technology, we MUST do everything in our power to help people (young and old) (a) understand their responsibilities in appropriate and respectful use of technology and (b) stand up, speak out and stop the use of cyber-technologies and cell phones bullying as tools of intolerance and bullying.
My plea to anyone who may be reading this is that you will make a commitment to intervene and do everything in your power to help. I truly believe that there is no such thing as a bystander (people who stand at the side and do nothing when someone is being bullied, or when injustice is happening). If we are not actively involved in speaking out to stop bulling and injustice, I believe that our inaction places us in the role of perpetrator (alongside the bully). I know it isn't our intention, but when we are silent it is interpreted (especially by the victim) as meaning that we support the perpetrator.
If you see or hear about anyone using any Web 2.0 tools in ways that hurt others, please don't remain silent!
I wrote this a while ago but for some reason I didn't post it (I just saw that it was still listed as a "draft"!). Given the recent events at UMD I though I would still post this, as sadly it is more important than ever for us to stand up and speak out against cyberbullying (and every other kind too!). This past week, a conservative campus youth group, Youth for Western Civilization, was handing out pocket U.S. Constitutions at the University of MN Duluth (UMD). A representative from Youth for Western Civilization videotaped and selectively edited the video of an interaction between him, the UMD Director of the Office of Cultural Diversity, and the UMD President of the Black Students' Association. This video was then posted on the website of another conservative student organization, Campus Reform along with the contact information (phone and email) of the UMD Director of the Office of Cultural Diversity. This, in turn, was posted on the website of another right wing group, The Blaze.
Since then, both the Director and the BSA student president have been receiving hundreds of threatening phone calls and emails in an orchestrated campaign of intimidation. The effect has not only been devastating on these individuals, but also on the students for whom the UMD Multicultural Center is a safe haven -- many of whom are still traumatized by the events of last year surrounding a horrific, racist event on Facebook at UMD.
Also recently in the news: an article in Digital Life Today about the apparent suicide of a young gay teen, Jamey Rodemeyer, as the result of bullying. Read this article -- it describes the traumatic experiences of this 14 year old boy who was relentlessly persecuted through cyberbullying because of his sexual orientation.
I know that there are critics of social media who blame these tools when they are used for cyberbullying. I would argue that the tools themselves are not the problem, but rather the ways in which they can be used by people intent on intimidating and harming others. As I argued below in my earlier post written in 2010, every time any of us witness any kind of bullying (cyber or other) and do nothing to try to stop it, then we become collaborators in perpetuating the cycle of cyberviolence. So next time you see someone on your Facebook wall post something that is hurtful of others, respond (not privately as a message, but publicly on their wall) so they and others can see that this kind of behavior is not acceptable. Thanks everyone! :)
Blog post originally written in 2010: The senseless and tragic suicide of Tyler Clementi, a gay college student this week who took his own life because of cyberbullying has me feeling outraged and more determined than ever to work to try to educate anyone I can about how essential it is for EVERYONE to speak out and act to stop intolerance and prejudice.
For those of us who are in education, especially those of us who teach people how to use the Internet and other forms of technology, we MUST do everything in our power to help people (young and old) (a) understand their responsibilities in appropriate and respectful use of technology and (b) stand up, speak out and stop the use of cyber-technologies and cell phones bullying as tools of intolerance and bullying.
My plea to anyone who may be reading this is that you will make a commitment to intervene and do everything in your power to help. I truly believe that there is no such thing as a bystander (people who stand at the side and do nothing when someone is being bullied, or when injustice is happening). If we are not actively involved in speaking out to stop bulling and injustice, I believe that our inaction places us in the role of perpetrator (alongside the bully). I know it isn't our intention, but when we are silent it is interpreted (especially by the victim) as meaning that we support the perpetrator.
If you see or hear about anyone using any Web 2.0 tools in ways that hurt others, please don't remain silent!
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