Cyber Bullying

I promise you, I did not make this separate blog page simply to bitch about things that cross my mind. I had fully planned on writing a post about my weekend spent with the boyfriend and my sister in Roanoke. However, something was brought to my attention tonight and I need to write about it.

Do you remember the days when Facebook required a college email address in order to create an account? Do you remember when Facebook was fun and provided an easy way to keep in touch? Lately there has been a new favorite hobby for people: Cyber Bullying. We have heard about it for a while now. I am pretty sure most of us can name at least 3 celebrities who have filmed a commercial warning people about the dangers of cyber bullying, etc. Unfortunately it seems to be getting worse. There are various Facebook pages regarding different areas on our little peninsula outing people for certain sexual adventures. Because Facebook only requires people to have an email address, it is simple for anyone to make a page...regardless of what the page is about. I became aware of these pages after a great number of my friends friend requested them.

Here's how it works: You put in the name of the Facebook page (Example-A particular town Cheaters), you can inbox the owner of the site and have them write about someone. Then the site owner writes the name of the person plus whatever adventure they want the internet world to know about. Basically it says, First & Last name slept with First & Last name while dating First & Last name at Name of Location, Name of STD, and a variety of adjectives describing the people involved.

Why does this bother me? They are not talking about me. It is none of my business. Isn't that how we should feel? We all like to turn a blind eye to such inappropriate behavior, right? (Even though it does not stop us from gossiping about it....) What happens when the ten year old girl reads the information that is being said about her? How is she supposed to face her peers at school come September? Talk about the reputation she will have! If we all sit back and say, "I just want to see what the gossip is" and not alert anyone about the seriousness of this, will we be OK when this little girl commits suicide because of the bullying she is receiving? Don't people watch the news? Growing up is difficult enough (coming from a girl who had gum put in her hair  & my pictures destroyed by a girl who didn't like me because her boyfriend asked me to prom....) Why should we sit back and allow for some immature asshole to ruin reputations and self esteems?

Instead of Friend Requesting these horrible pages, shouldn't we report them to Facebook? Shouldn't we TRY to stop the unnecessary bullying? Wouldn't we want someone to protect our children from such behavior?  Report them.

I have.



...I know one thing, I am glad I am not a teenager anymore. I would take gum in my hair any day over the craziness that goes on in the school systems now.