Teen bullying, cyber-bullying, teen suicides....these topics have been all over the news lately and we can't avoid talking about it. I have posted three stories below. Please take a look at all of them, then respond to this post with a thoughtful response. Here are some suggestion questions:
- How did you feel when reading/watching these stories and why do you feel this way?
- Describe a time when you or someone you know has been bullied or affected by bullying.
- How do you think technology (ie. facebook, video chat, youtube, instant messaging, etc.) has changed or affected bullying? Has it made bullying easier or harder? Or not affected bullying at all? Explain your thoughts...
- What can be done to stop bullying, and cyber bullying in particular?
- How does this relate to the 1st Amendment of Free Speech? Do you think Tyler's roommate had a right to do what he did based on the right to free speech? How do we decide when to limit "free speech," or should we stop it at all?
Video clip about Tyler Clementi, a college freshman who took his own life after being cyber bullied. You will not believe what his roommate and roommate's friend did to him:
Another story about a recent teen suicide due to bullying:
Video clip from Ellen Degeneres:
when i saw this videos i was choked, because of how things go from joking to disaster. maybe his room mates wanted to make his life miserable, and he just decided he shouldn't be part of this world with out leading any one know. technology has made bulling easier to others. because its not the same to write something that to tell it or do it face to face. you can stop bulling by not writing any personal things on the internet and by choosing wisely who your friends are and who are the people that are around you. i guess every one has or should have the right of free speech, to defend your opinion and rights. this room mate dindt had to publish that jids personal life, because it isnt his problem.
ReplyDeletenow that we have this type of technology people bully others more you can say anything about anyone and the world well no fast which isnt right if you put yourself in that persns shoe but becuase some people have no lifes and love to talk about other this type of stuff happens a lot. i think people should stop talking writing texting ect. about other that way these types of problems wouldnt happen becuase if you take bullying to fare that person your people may be hurt or effect for a long time. so choose your words carfully when talking about others.
ReplyDeleteOne has certain rights as a person such as freedom of speech, but, when du our rights reach their limits and violate other peoples rights. Bullying has always being a common social problem and such as time change bullying changed. Before the internet and new technological advances that have been shifting our ways of life the past few years, people used to be more careful about what they said or wrote about other because do to the lack of social networks it would also follow in a personal confrontation with the other person, but now technology has made it easy to spread hurtful comments, videos and pictures in a faster rate that is almost impossible to stop. I am shock after learning about this stories and how far bullying has gone. There is no clear way to stop bulling since it depends in the individuals point of view, values, and ethnicity; but to me the best approach is at home.
ReplyDeleteby; Albert M.
im shocked of how kids are in away forced to commit suicide, and how they are encoutaged to do that. the poeple who suffer from bulliying should look for phycological help eventhough it is a though topic it depends on the opinion you have on yourself people will judge and talk but you need to find a way to ignore all of that stuff because its something you will need to handle for the rest of your life but its recomended to look for help before its to late, freedom of spheech is a right everyone has and its not focused on this but the internet has a huge impact on the teen life on this years.but the bulliying doesn occur only by other kids even in the same family,but the acess to internet and streaming has a bigger impact scince in less than 2 minutes you could be live on the web. people should be carefulll with their actions and whom they trust
ReplyDeleteI'm very shock of how many kids commit suicide. In part i know how they feel because i was a victim of bulling along time ago. In part i understand the pressure they fee, but the part i don't understand is why to take their life. the life is something precious that God gave us as a gift. To me that is a privilege. If you are affected you need to get help,but if not is something you have to deal in front not taking your life. We need to learn to live with it because this world that is full of madness and we will have to live with it until the day the earth end.( and no not in 2012) This is important to say and not to stay quiet and that another thing that teen now a days do and i have to learned it from the bad way. I had thing to keep quiet many things that have happened in my life that causes a huge problem. that causes a pressure in you that you feel that theres no way to get out of it and believe me it feel very talk and get it all out. Talk to some you have confidence and trust and you see that no matter what they are going to help you , but the best one that hear you are your parents and the ones how loves you.
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw the video I was in shock because of what they did to him. Bullying is becoming bigger each day, and many teenagers are committing suicide. People that bully don't realize how the person that they are bullying feels, and those people feel miserable and that's why they commit suicide. I think technology had make it easier to bully persons, because people can tell then more terrible things on the internet than face to face. I think it can be stop, but not at all; because people can guide them to stop bullying, but they keep doing it. It could be stop if they follow those advices and tips people tell them to stop. It also can be stop by them being bully too, so they can feel how those people feel. I think the roommate exaggerate by telling the world, because that was very private. So stop bullying!
ReplyDeleteI'm not shocked AT ALL. I read about these situations every day, so is nothing new. In my honest opinion, some people, like social entities, government, etc. are "trying" to stop this issue, are they really trying? The government is so hypocrit, trying to makes us think that they care about us, that they want a change, and if all of that were true, everything by now would had been different (in a positive way). If they are not gonna try, the change it's up to US. Here in Guamani, for example, I'm aware of many situations, that for some people are just stupid, but some students are hurting others, with rude comments that can hurt their self-esteeme. We need a change, and us, the ones that watch all these situations happen every day, we need to ask ourselves: "Am I going to do something?" One spark starts a fire, a single person, can make the difference. We all can be that single person who will change the world, we just got to believe. Bullying is a serious matter happening all over the world, sitting here, in our homes, writing in our blogs, honestly won't change a difference, words are just words, until you really MEAN what you say by making a difference with ACTIONS.
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ReplyDeleteI am not shocked by this, I'm always reading about different situations in which a teen has been bullied into committing suicide. The problem with this is that the government, schools or whoever, does not take bullying cases seriously. They start taking it seriously once a life is lost, and guess what? By then, it’s already too late. Schools should have more repercussions for their lack of effort to try to take a stop for bullying. I don't think schools are the only ones responsible for this though, yes they should put up more of an effort to try and stop it, but there are also more people involved. Parents should intervene long before it gets that far. With social networking sites, it is WAY EASIER to have access to a person and be able to degrade a person, insult them or make fun of them. People should realize that what you say may be funny to you and your friends, but to another person it can or will affect them in a negative way, because everyone reacts differently, which can lead to depression or suicide. Sometimes I can’t believe how ignorant and cold-hearted some people can be, even to continue making fun of a person after their death. Like a case I read these days of one of the 6 teens that have recently committed suicide (because of the insults of his sexual orientation), that people STILL kept saying hurtful things on his Facebook memorial page. Sometimes, I think that anyone, even kids with strong ethics, morals and ideals, can sometimes say something hurtful to another person without realizing it, we all make mistakes. At the same time, a person should realize they are hurting another and apologize, make changes in your life in order to avoid doing it again, and try to make amends with the victim before it’s too late. NO ONE should have to go through being bullied, hurt, humiliated, and degraded, NO MATTER their sexual orientation, economic status, looks, etc. Sometimes you’re afraid of the consequences if you speak up about being bullied, but you should always be able to try and get help and talk to someone, in order to get immediate help and the right counseling, and raise your self-esteem to a healthy level and put a stop to the bullying. Both the bully and the victim should be counseled in order to live healthier lives and get to the right place where they need to be. Some people believe the bully should not be helped and just face the consequences (which they OBVIOUSLY without a doubt should face, for negatively affecting a person's life, which is inexcusable), but think, if you don’t counsel and help the “bully” try and get to a healthier place and deal with his or her problems in a different, positive way, what makes you think he/she wouldn’t go on and bully the next person? Yes, we all have a right to freedom of speech, but no one has the right to affect someone’s self-esteem, mental stability, try and take away their self-respect or jeopardize their well-being, in order to raise their own self-esteem or other personal satisfaction. I think people should just keep negative comments or opinions that will potentially damage or affect another person and just focus on their lives. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE IMMEDIATELY DONE IN ORDER TO TRY and take a stop through bullying and help the lives of the victims.
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw the Tyler Clementi video I was left without words. That's something you just don't do, not even if you meant it as a joke because look at the consequences it might bring you. Everyone has their right to privacy. I know what it feels like to be bullied and being called names and it's not a good feeling...trust me! Every word those people say leave a mark and you keep repeating them over and over in your head and start to believe that what they are saying is truth and your self-esteem goes down. People don't have the right to treat others mean and disrespectful because everyone is equal under GOD's eyes-- which are the one's that count in the end.
ReplyDeleteWith all the technology that is being offered to teen nowadays, I believe it has become easier to bully others because what you can't say to them in face, you can just write on facebook, myspace, etc...
I think it has gotten worse since cyber-bullying because everyone can see that and other people start commenting too and try to bring you down with hurtfull words. What we can do stop bullying it just try to keep your comments to yourself and you'll avoid lots of problems.
Back to the Tyler Clementi story, his roommate did NOT have the right to do what he did because first he recorded him and his partner without their knowledge and permission, and even worse he posted it on the internet and told people to watch it. That is not a roommate nor a friend. Tyler deserved to live a long life just a his friend is living his.
STOP BULLYING!
this video left me without words because it is horrible what bullying could do to a human being and how horrible people can be to do this to something todays technology can help us and also hurt us. the bullying went to the circumstance that the guy had to kill himself to get away from the bullying. his roommate shouldnt have done that to him because thats wrong and interumpting someones privacy!
ReplyDeleteI wasn't that shocked by the turn of events in the Tyler Clementi story. Bullying goes on everyday, it is basically a part of life. I presume it gives some type of inpowerment to the one bullying to make him feel superior to another human being because of his looks, gender, racial background or sexual preference. Now with advances in technology it is way easier to bully from behind a computer than in someones face. The relativity this case has to the right of free speech is like the Sedition act, but still contredicts the governtment. anyway, it is wrong and inhuman.. just don't do it and..
ReplyDeleteWell i was shocked that these bullies will go that far to make someone kill themselves.I think that nobody should be treated like this because of something personal to them. I think that technology has made bullying easier because now everyone can bully without being face to face with the person. Before things like facebook were not like they are now, now they aare bullying central to some people. For the good thing i have not seen a bullying like these stories that goes to the extremes but i have seen cyber bullying in these school years.I think to stop cyber bullying is make people understand that the choice that people make in live, for example being homosexual, is not of anyones business and nobody should treat them differently because of the choices they make and their opinions. I think that everyone should do what they like not what other people want them to do. This relates to the first amendment because these cases are freedom of speech, people should have their freedom of speech without being critisized or bullied for it.
ReplyDeleteI dont agree with bullying at all because of the consequences that might occur in the future like the video represents. I was in shocked about how serious bullying can get in those who had been bullied, it can affect that person's self-esteeme. Bullying goes on every single day because those who bully think that by bullyiing they are superior than those who get bullied. It's totally cruel and not acceptable.
ReplyDeleteBullying is a very serious matter that has become one the main reasons for teens to commit suicide. When I saw the videos I was shocked because of what this problem that for some may seem stupid, can provoke on others life. Why making people's life miserable? Where is the fun part of this situations? I think no one has the right to make fun of others or to judge them despite their differences. We're all equal to the eyes of God and for it we shall be treated equally.
ReplyDeleteMany of us have been victims of bullying, but hopelly we've learned to lead with the situation. Others aren't so open minded and think that they shouldn't be alive, and that the only way to end so many humiliations is by commiting suicide. It is a sad situation but this is caused when our "little" games go way to far.
Technology and social networks has made bullying easier because you have no privacy and rumors can spread a lot easier. A way to prevent been bullied or to start acting against bullying is by keeping your life a secret and not doing things publicly so people have nothing against you. ;)
I was a little shocked when i watched this video. It's wrong for people to invade other people's privacy and then affecting their lives by posting it on the internet for the whole world to see without their consent. Even though some people may not consider it bullying, I do because, in a way, they were teasing him for being gay. There are many people in this world that are gay and are too afraid to admit it in public because they don't want to be teased. People have no right to judge another person for their likes or dislikes. Even though the first amendment is freedom of speech, people shouldn't abuse of that privileged and make another human's life a living hell. We are all humans and have feelings, and no one should have the power to make another feel inferior.
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