at work, in class, or even at a social event, and be so engaged in their cell
phones and social media that they are not even aware of what is going on
around them. Seriously, people can’t seem to last through a red light, a tv
commercial, or even a workout without feeling like they are missing out on
something big if they don’t plug into the virtual world. But that’s not even my
issue. My issue is the misuse and abuse relating to this social media obsession.
I have always known that girls can be very cruel. But my eyes were
recently opened to the idea that boys can be equally nasty and spiteful. All I
can say is that I am so glad that social media was not so prominent when I was
in high school, but I am so very concerned about the kids who are constantly
being targeted in today’s youth (and beyond). Here’s the bottom line: this is
not an age or gender related issue. I have seen girls and boys of all ages
engage in hurtful online behavior—from middle school children, to high school
kids, to young adults and parents alike. So here’s my question: Why aren’t we
stopping to ask ourselves a few basic questions before we post something for all
of our peers to see? Let’s start at the most basic level: Is this positive or
negative? Will this help or hurt the situation? What are my intentions? Could
this make someone else feel bad about themselves or their situation (even if it
gets a laugh out of others)? If we would just stop and ask these fundamental
questions, I think we would realize that the post we are about to make is simply
not worth it if it compromises our character. Mean posts, tweets, retweets,
comments, and photos aren’t funny. They are hurtful.
The other day I tuned into a local Christian radio station to hear a little girl--
I’m talking elementary aged—who was asking the radio hosts for prayers
because she was scared to go back to school after being bullied by her
classmates on social media. But it doesn’t stop on the playgrounds. Recently
I witnessed a group of college girls harassing another student via instagram
and twitter in a malicious and hateful manner. I also witnessed a high school
boy slandering his ex-girlfriend on facebook in attempts to bring her down.
And no matter how many people see
through these vicious attempts to hurt others, it doesn’t take away from the
hurt that affects the target of these posts. The bottom line is that no matter
how tough we are, it still hurts.
Working in the student housing industry I have seen things that break my
heart and things that make me sick—this bullying mentality is clearly a serious
problem that some people carry with them throughout life. So where does the
cycle end? Unless you step up, it doesn’t. Please don’t stand idly by while this
destructive behavior happens. Be that positive influence that steps up and does
the right thing. And that doesn’t mean battling the bullies. For some of you,
it will mean not responding to negative posts or engaging in an online war. For
others, it might mean monitoring your kid’s (or younger siblings) accounts and
setting a positive example. And for others it might mean refraining from making
that unnecessary or hurtful/spiteful post that you were considering. But
whatever it means for you, please try to do something, even if it is just
setting a good example of acceptable social media
posting.