http://wfla.com/2016/06/08/girl-15-commits-suicide-after-friends-share-nude-snapchat-video/
I do not have children; I do have a niece and nephews....but seeing that mother give her account of events broke me internally. Unfortunately, Tovonna is not the first and will not be the last teenager that will take her life over cyberbullying. There are studies that attribute half of suicides among youth to bullying.
IN MY OPINION (had to say it in caps for the readers in the byke):
Social media has altered reality for our younger generations, particularly those born during or after 1990 and especially those born in 2000 and beyond.My generational counterparts (I was born in '86) were pretty much the internet and social media pioneers. From chat rooms, to MySpace, BlackPlanet, HighSchoolClub, and the ground-breaking Facebook, we've been around long enough to see social media transform from an internet past-time for us into an almost necessity for our younger brothers/sisters/children/nieces/nephews/cousins.
That transformation from recreation to an activity of daily living is due to advancements in technology: going from iPods and Zunes and digital cameras and desktop computers with dial-up internet connection and the little AOL man slowly running across our full-body computer screen to our current handy-dandy iPhones and Android phones that do all of the above.
Now, with all of those multi-faceted outlets merged into one, convenient, pocket-sized (unless you have a Galaxy Note... Pretty confident you can play Twister on that thing) tool, each subsequent decade of teenagers have taken items once used to pass time and sewn it into the fabric of their lives.
Today's teenagers have the world at their fingertips. With instantaneous information at their disposal, they could be the smartest (and who am I say to say they aren't already or will not be) generation to have ever walked this Earth. HOWEVER........
They are also the most vain. They will do whatever it takes to get attention, solicit a laugh, or attain popularity from an UNSEEN INTERNET AUDIENCE. Self-esteem has given way to self perception that is dependent upon the number of likes on Instagram or retweets on Twitter; narcissism manifested by lip-syncing the hot song of the moment with a fully beat face; and feeling like a reality TV show star on Periscope or YouTube.
Not only that, they are unable to articulate themselves. All of their thoughts are noted in 140 characters or less. All of their conversations truncated into 8 second SnapChat videos.
That being said, I came across this tweet a few months ago that stemmed from an event unrelated to Tovonna's case:
It upset me because it is that deep for many of these kids now. Bullying has morphed into something totally different than it was for us growing up, but a lot of us refuse to believe it. I don't necessarily expect folks that grew up playing Duck Hunt to readily accept that....and certainly not the Pong and prior peoples. The same way technology and media outlets have evolved, so have bullies.
A teenager seeking attention via social media + being a bully = a child willing to humiliate another child not just on the school ground, but online for the WORLD to see.
A teenager seeking attention via social media + receiving the "wrong" attention from internet bullies = a child that now feels ostracized/humiliated not only by the children around him/her, but (in his/her eyes) by the entire WORLD.
It is SO different now. Tovonna was unknowingly video taped by her "close-friend" who subsequently posted the video to SnapChat.... All to solicit a laugh, I'm sure.
These teenagers also use social media to vent their frustrations to the same unseen internet audience that they attempt to appease. It's most disturbing when the line is crossed from venting to doing the unthinkable. Recently, a French teenage woman (19) decided to broadcast her suicide live on Periscope (not due to cyberbullying, but possibly from an alleged rape). Prior to jumping in front of an on-coming train, she fielded questions from her internet audience, discussing her decision to end her life. It saddens me that she decided to take her life, but it's a scary precedent that may have been set for other teenagers (or adults) seeking to do the same.
How do we combat what has become a mainstay for these children? Denying them access to social media is arguably pointless because access is everywhere...or it will only make them go extra lengths to get on ...or generate disdain towards your refusal. Even if you keep an open line of communication with the child(ren) in your life, you can only hope it's effective.