Cyber bullies virtually no threat
Forgive me for this old man rant, but since when is the biggest bully on the block the kid with the largest lexicon of burns ready to be unleashed on social media?
As the digital revolution made its mark on history, it not only changed the way information is distributed, but it also changed social attitudes and standings.
When was the last time a bully shoved you into a locker and stole your lunch money?
I assume the answer is never. But when was the last time someone attacked you online?
Being bullied and ridiculed online is so prevalent it has practically become our new national pastime.
The big and burly bully has been replaced by the lowly internet "troll," with its big book of naughty words and horrible thoughts aimed at instigating a reaction.
Being terrorized online is not my biggest concern however; my concern is how we react to such attacks.
When bullying was limited to the physical realm, dealing with the problem was reasonably straight forward. You told an adult about the bullying, or you stood up for yourself to let them know you will not be shoved around.
With cyber bullying, all you really have to do is ignore it or call a troll out on their hatefulness.
I like to play online games, so I’ve seen my fair share of trolls spewing out the most ignorant words known in the English language.
I was called a “(homophobic expletive) loser with no friends” after playing an online match where I spent the whole time shooting down the disheartened troll's helicopter.
Feeling the love, I responded with “I love you so much right now.” He later replied and suggested he had sex with my mother, though I could never confirm that fact.
Stopping cyber bullying is not that hard, and it rarely takes a lawsuit to deal with.
The best way to handle it is for people to just be better human beings and stop being hateful monsters to one another online. If that solution fails, then ignoring the hate is just a click away on any website.
