The Lighter Side
Most UK readers will be aware of the runaway success of a Facebook campaign to deprive Joe McElderry, this year’s winner of TV talent contest The X Factor, of their seemingly-compulsory Christmas Number 1. For the last five years the winner of the X Factor has been guaranteed the top position in the chart at Christmastime.
The Facebook campaign encourages people to buy the 1992 protest song ‘Killing In The Name’ by Rage Against The Machine instead of Joe’s single as a form of protest against the glossy, slick talent show and it’s musical output. Donations, and profits from the sale of Rage Against The Machine’s single, are being donated to charities.
As of the Midweek chart, Rage Against The Machine are leading McElderry by several hundred thousand sales, and the campaign seems to be a runaway success.
This is just one example of the ‘people power’ of social networking sites, where a spontaneous movement can turn into an organised campaign in hours, and give a voice to thousands of people.
The ‘Rage Against The Machine’ Facebook campaign is clearly relatively light-hearted, but ‘people power’ on social network sites can have a much darker side…
The Darker Side
Amy Louise Paul is a 13 year old girl. Like many young people, Amy enjoyed keeping in touch with her friends on the internet, on MSN Messenger and on social networking sites. This remained the case until someone from Amy’s school created a group on a social networking site titled We Hate Amy Louise - 'for all of those people who hoped she would die already'. Many people from Amy’s school joined the group and it became a ‘hub’ for those people who, for whatever reason, wanted to attack Amy both in and outside of school. A spontaneous movement of people turned into an organised campaign of hatred and hurt.
Amy - withdrawn, depressed and in shock, considered suicide and still now cannot speak about the incident without sobbing uncontrollably.
But Amy is not alone – studies show that an increasing proportion of young people are being bullied over the internet or via. their mobile phone in their own homes. In the internet-connected world of 2009 – the home is no longer the ‘safe haven’ where children can escape from playground bullies.
According to the NSPCC, more young people call ChildLine about bullying, including cyber-bullying, than any other topic.
And this bullying can have the most severe consequences. Earlier this year, 15 year old Megan Gillan died as a result of an overdose of prescription painkillers. Megan had been targeted by bullies on the social networking site Bebo and the messaging service, MSN Messenger. It is believed that Megan took the painkillers so that she was sick the next day, and wouldn’t have to go to school to face her tormentors.
Megan’s father, Mark, confessed that prior to the tragic incident, he had no idea what Bebo was or how it worked.
Source: The Daily Mail
Make sure your child isn’t being bullied online
The best advice that can be offered to parents who are concerned about their children’s online presence is to:
Be Aware
Learn how social networking sites and instant messaging services work – perhaps by creating a ‘profile’ yourself. It’s surprisingly easy to do and will help you understand the risks – and benefits – of this growing cultural phenomenon.
Talk It Through
Have a calm and frank discussion with your children about the risks, and about what to do if they are unhappy with anything that happens on the internet. Don’t lecture, and don’t “ban” them – teenagers in particular will rebel against this, and you will find that they will continue without your knowledge, which is even more dangerous!
Discretely Monitor
Use Internet Monitoring software such as Spysure Home Version to keep an eye on exactly what your children are doing online – what kind of messages they are sending and receiving. This will have the double-benefit of putting your mind at rest if all is well, and allowing you to deal with a problem if one arises, before it becomes too serious.
Get Professional Help
If you or your child are being bullied online, call Childline for free and in confidence on 0800 1111.
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