article: "so-called computer geeks...the new bullies&qu

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A result of the trend towards cyberbullying, apparently.


http://today.reuters.com/news/articlene ... rss&rpc=22

[sarcasm] I love how they blame highschool computer geeks. I know tons that have girlfriends. [/sarcasm]
Just about every kid has access to a computer, and it takes very limited knowledge to do what the article described. Emailing, instant messaging, and even webcams, are extraordinarily popular. You don't have to be well versed in computer techonology to figure out how to work it.

Personally, I know that cyberbullying exists, but I don't understand it. I suppose it's because I don't understand most forms of bullying. However, the computer strikes me as the easiest place to escape it; blocking messages, signing off IM, ect.

I heard a fair amount about one case of it several months ago, one of the victims was in Canada (where the researchers under discussion are), and it got a lot of press there. I wouldn't be at all surprised if that incident was what triggered the whole study.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/sto ... d=10410147

But do I think it's widespread? Doesn't seem like it. Giving someone a picture of an underage girl in the buff can get you 4 to 10 years in a US prison, and probably not too different in most other jurisdictions. I even read one account of a girl, I think she was 17, who posted some racy pictures of herself online, and was arrested and threatened with a long prison term on the theory that she was exploiting herself. It doesn't seem like an area which is being under-prosecuted.

And if it's a problem with computer users, what about the new generation of cellphones? Not only do they allow one to take regrettable pictures or video of one's self and effortlessly send them off, but they give other people a very easy way of surreptitiously taking pictures or video themselves.

I doubt that there is a huge wave of bullying, but there may be a huge wave of people acting stupidly, as new technologies make new kinds of stupid behavior not only possible, but easy and convenient. As always, we need to learn, and adapt to change.