Bullies have been a big part of many children's lives at school. Too many kids get pushed around, ridiculed and embarrassed in front of their peers in the classroom. However, what happens when there seems to be no escape from such bullying, when not even home can be a safe haven? Slate.com reported one such tragic incident. Ninth grader Phoebe Prince, a student of South Hadley High School in Massachusetts committed suicide after suffering a torrent of abuse from fellow classmates not only when she was at school but also at home via the Internet. Targeting her on Facebook, her bullies made it impossible for her to get away from the insults even when they could not see her face to face.
This article makes it clear that cyber-bullying is becoming an increasing problem in today's tech savvy world. Popular sites among teenagers such as Facebook and Myspace have made it even easier for kids to become the targets of rumors and slander, and once something appears on the interweb, it spreads like wildfire. This article explains that although South Hadley has made efforts by hosting a bullying workshop for parents, lack of substantial attendance shows that even more awareness needs to be raised about this incredibly serious issue.
It is easy to remain detached from this issue. While some of us may have experienced cyber-bullying or perhaps are close to someone that has been victimized through the Internet, most of us have been fortunate enough not to lose someone close to us because of it. However, that does not entitle us to turn a blind eye to this growing problem. We have to consider where technology has brought us? Yes, so much progress has been made through the development of the Internet but, when we use it as a tool to hurt others, we are only moving backwards.
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