LOL. LMAO. WTF. HAHA. ;)
Communication. Technology. Everything changes over time. Look back centuries ago, and I'm pretty sure everything is almost completely different. The days where there were no phones, internet, mobiles, tvs... were the days when everyone made a physical effort to communicate. Now? It's as simple as picking up your iPhone and sending an iMessage, or posting on someone's wall on facebook.. you don't have you use your voice. You don't have to move your body. All you need to do is use your thumbs and you're good. We have become so lazy.
The language of online social interaction is also different, with the use of text speak. I'm sure you know what they all mean so I won't bother explaining. I've even found myself saying "LOL" in real life... which is totally weird when you think about it. I type lol and haha and don't even mean it. I'm not actually laughing out loud, it just makes the conversation seem more light and funny and not as serious. These informal ways of speaking are of popular use on social networking sites (and it seems in real life too). You have to use text speak in a certain context too, so you don't want to be too informal in some forms of communication because it could be rude. It depends on context, too. Online interaction is like a whole new world!
This new way of social interaction has it's benefits, sure (like talking to relatives across the globe), but it also can be a simpler ease of access to certain individuals to bully others. Social media can negatively impact upon individuals in terms of Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr, which allow people to remain anonymous and comment or create a fake identity to harm others. Anonymous sites such as Formspring are also a major impact upon the rise of cyberbullying.
Hi Tiana,
ReplyDeleteThere are many interesting points in your blog. I agree with the concept of a rise in bullying because of the use of internet - it allows bullys to make their victims feel unsafe at all times. https://www.facebook.com/pages/RIP-Amanda-Todd/206084786190406?fref=ts
The above website is an example of one person who was bullied to the point she committed suicide and yet her memorial page is still being attacked with people bullying her.
It seems that with the increase in internet activity and online media sites children in both primary and high school feel that the internet is a safe place for them to act out brutal personalities as well as a safe place to hide from such brutality. Both are wrong, but with the explosion of the internet and the inability for a parent to watch every thing their child does, it most likely won't be able to be stopped with out education - and that might not even work completely.
Good work!