Social media such has Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and
Formspring are the tools of a Bully and the tools of a Victim. I’m sure you wonder what I mean.
In today’s society these types of social media can be used
by an abuser to taunt, tease, and harass a victim. Before social media, the bullying done to a
child ended when school was over. The
victim had time to rest, refresh, and bolster up the courage to face the next
day of school.
Now, when the victim goes home, they get online; see
messages, posts, and other hurtful bullying statements outside of school
walls. They, for all intents and
purposes, are under attack 24/7. There
is no time to breath or recharge. While
I believe that no victim should have to recharge, when in the situation of
being bullied, a 24/7 attack is much more detrimental. By
now, most people think that social media is more of a negative societal
attribute rather than a positive one.
On the other side, when a victim feels alone, hurt, and has
nowhere to turn, there is social media.
We have seen, recently, in the media all of the reports of our kids
reaching out for help through Twitter, Facebook, and other forms of social
media. The sad end to that is that by
the time the information makes it to the masses ears, we have lost another
child. Jamey Rodemeyer killed himself
after regularly reaching out via social media to anyone that would listen to
his cries for help.
Our tweens and teens are reaching out to celebrities, the
untouchables, people that, if it weren’t for social media, would probably never
be exposed or aware of the cries of a single child. 30 years ago, I couldn’t have reached out to
the Beatles for help, if I were being bullied, in the hope that they would understand
and try to help me.
Now, teens and tweens are reaching out to celebrities that
they feel they can identify with. They
are looking for someone to hear their cries.
They are looking for someone that has the power to end their
problems.
We have the power.
Each and every one of us has the ability to become educated, learn the
signs, and save a child’s life, before they take it themselves. So, back to social media. I do not think that it is either evil or
good. I think social media’s label depends
on how we use it. We can use the power
of social media to help those in need, educate the masses, and listen to those
cries for help.
The moral of the story, the tools that we are presented with
are only as good or bad as we make them.
Someone can choose to kill someone with a hammer just as they can choose
to build a home for someone in need.
Social media can be used to belittle and abuse or it can be used to
uplift and inspire. Make the choice to
be the light in someone’s life instead of the dark.
