3pm Journal of Digital research & publishing - artichoke web design

3pm Journal of Digital research & publishing
However this type of social exclusionary behavior has only been exacerbated by the
ability to communicate constantly online, with victims having their profiles bombarded
with insults and hurtful comments for everyone to see. The teenage interviews say they
are all familiar with this type of behavior. They, themselves, have all been the recipients of
online abuse of some type on Facebook, believing that is it the feeling of being anonymous
that motivates other teenagers to be more vicious than they would offline. ìThey all hide
behind their computer and say stuff they wouldnít dare say to your face,î says one of the
girls. ìPlus you canít get in trouble for what you say on Facebook, cause like, itís not at
school or anything and you can always delete your comments straight away if someone
says something.î This comment displays how the law and educational institutions have
not caught up with this new technology, and itís tech-savvy users. Cyber-bullying in its
most extreme form however, can cause extreme psychological issues, depression and
even death. The interviewees share a particular nasty incident where a boy from a nearby
school dropped out of school because he couldnít deal with the bullying that he endured.
The bullying didnít cease once he left though, his Facebook account was bombarded with
comments telling him he was a ìloserî and ìdrop-kickî and ìwould never amount to anything.
î 2 He later had to seek professional help for depression and anxiety. Cyber-bullying can
also drive teenagers to the extreme of suicide. Two publicized instances of this in the US
are Megan Meier, a 13 year-old girl who hung herself after being tricked and abused by a
friendís parent posing as a 16 year-old boy, and Phoebe Prince, a 15 year-old girl who also
hung herself after being relentlessly abused online by the ëpopular girlsí who called her a
ìslutî and said they wished she ìjust commit [suicide]î(ABCnews: 2010) (Donaldson James:
2010). These cases exemplify damaging and destructive consequences Facebook can have
if used as a tool to harm others.
Conclusion
While Facebook is an extremely popular social networking site, society should be careful
not to praise the new technology without examining the social and psychological effects it
can have. When used properly, Facebook is a fantastic way for people around the world to
stay in touch with one another. However, when proper judgment on how to use Facebook is
not exercised, as it is often not amongst teenage girl whose vulnerability and desire to fit in
can often cloud their judgment, then it can be a site of extremely destructive behavior and
social conventions. As the interviews with 10 teenage girls have shown, the prolific use of
2 “Drop-kick” is slang for someone who is unpopular and unlikely to succeed in life
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