(no subject)
Wait, just -
just wait a -
Just wait a cotton-picking minute.
The Who anon meme. fandom_wank. And similar sites where you can personally attack another fan with the protection of anonymity and without consequences (and, often, where they have no way to defend themselves).
Are they cyberbullying?
I was bullied relentlessly through high school, but it always took the form of harassment; the cyberbullying equivalent would be abusive texts, emails, etc. But watching the anti-cyberbullying PSA that angriest just embedded, it struck me that if some twat scribbled a bunch of rumours or abuse about someone on the toilet wall, and all her little mates added something, they'd be doing basically the same thing as those comms do.
I don't want to overstate the parallel. Cyberbullies sometimes set up Web sites which target specific individuals, but that's not exactly the same. The term "cyberbullying" is usually reserved for minors harassing other minors. I can largely (though never totally) avoid the abuse by simply avoiding the comms in question.
Nonetheless, the parallel is extremely disturbing. I thought I had long ago left behind the nightmare that was high school. But I'm a tough old bird now - there must be younger fans who are far more vulnerable to this shit.
just wait a -
Just wait a cotton-picking minute.
The Who anon meme. fandom_wank. And similar sites where you can personally attack another fan with the protection of anonymity and without consequences (and, often, where they have no way to defend themselves).
Are they cyberbullying?
I was bullied relentlessly through high school, but it always took the form of harassment; the cyberbullying equivalent would be abusive texts, emails, etc. But watching the anti-cyberbullying PSA that angriest just embedded, it struck me that if some twat scribbled a bunch of rumours or abuse about someone on the toilet wall, and all her little mates added something, they'd be doing basically the same thing as those comms do.
I don't want to overstate the parallel. Cyberbullies sometimes set up Web sites which target specific individuals, but that's not exactly the same. The term "cyberbullying" is usually reserved for minors harassing other minors. I can largely (though never totally) avoid the abuse by simply avoiding the comms in question.
Nonetheless, the parallel is extremely disturbing. I thought I had long ago left behind the nightmare that was high school. But I'm a tough old bird now - there must be younger fans who are far more vulnerable to this shit.