Tumblr 101: Tips And Tricks To Get Started
Sebastian Thrun: Google's Driverless Car
Online Bullying a Public Health Threat, Says CDC
Everybody knows that cyber-bullying (when someone goes out of their way to be a jerk online, a.k.a. 'griefing') is terrifically irritating. It's behavior that many gamers, particularly those in the online virtual world 'Second Life,' have turned into something of a degenerate art form. But is it a threat to our health? Yes, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). The CDC has elevated the discussion of this issue from niche online nuisance to a decidedly mainstream issue.According to a newly-released CDC report, cyber-bullying incidents rose 50-percent between 2000 and 2005. While there haven't been any studies since, there's little doubt that online bullying hasn't seen similar -- if not more dramatic -- growth since then.
Unfortunately, the report says, not much can be done about online bullying, since filtering non-profane but still hateful speech is all but impossible online. If you're a parent, we suggest you talk to your kids about online bullies and how pathetic they are -- not only so that they're not offended by them, but so that they don't turn into bullies themselves. And, if you're a victim yourself, just try to ignore it. Remember: Don't feed the trolls! [From: USA Today]
PHOTOS: Best And Worst Of Grammy Dresses
Whitney Houston Dead: Singer Dies at 48, Body Found in Beverly Hilton Hotel
LINSANITY CONTINUES
Whitney Houston Autopsy: Cause of Death Determined?
Whitney Houston, Bobbi Kristina: Late Singer's Daughter Hospitalized
Whitney Houston Dead: Stars React to Legend's Sudden Death
Grammy Red Carpet 2012 (PHOTOS)
Grammy 2012 Winners' List: Adele Sweeps Music's Biggest Night
Jennifer Hudson Whitney Tribute: Grammy President Reveals Why Singer Was Chosen for Musical Memorial
Katy Perry Grammy Performance 2012: Did the Diva Diss Her Ex-Hubby With Revealing New Song?
5-Hour Energy: A Success Equal Parts Caffeine, Chemistry and Meditation
People With Easy-To-Pronounce Names More Likely To Succeed, Study Says
Comments
3
Subscribe to commentsJT ComptonAug 27th 2008 1:04PM
Anonymity has to be one of the biggest factors in any form of cyber bullying or flaming or hate speech. When insecure, hateful people are given the opportunity to act without the possibility of personal responsibility, they take it to extremes. It's a form of cowardice. They would never say to anyone face-to-face the things they write online, because they would be chastised and humiliated and scorned. But online, their personal demons are given free reign, to the annoyance of the rest of us. When our children are targeted, the effect is much worse, since most kids don't have the maturity to realize that cyber bullies are saying much more about their own character than the people they are bullying.
JahAug 27th 2008 1:21PM
Cyberbullying is not a health crisis unless the issue is that there are far too many sick minded people in society. But even that is due to the rampant acceptance of immorality which is not a health crisis but does create one with the increase in mental and physical illness and disease. Just as the childhood song goes "sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me"; people need to realize that spoken or written words don't cause harm unless you let thm. So what if someone says something stupid on-line; unless an individual actually IS all of that stuff then there's nothing to worry about. And let me guess the only reason why this is such a "crisis" is because some weak-minded insecure white girl took her life because her parents let her do whatever the heck she wanted to - including chat openly online with someone she didn't know.
MadMikeAug 27th 2008 5:06PM
You want to see perfect examples of Cyber-bullying take a look at any Engadget story's comments.
Sure the quick wit retort I am guilty of - especially to the less mentally inclined. But It gets real nasty, real quick.