Megan Meier became one of the first publicly recognized victims of cyber bullying. At age 13, she committed suicide after being electronically attacked by a neighbor's mother and girls in her community through the anonymity of one Josh Evans, a fictional Myspace creation.
In a world dominated by text messages, blogs, social networking Web sites, e-mailing and instant messaging, people have increasingl been emboldened by anonymity, adding a new and dangerous side to bullying. With children receiving cell phones for Christmas and laptops being accumulated for every member in a household, technology is reaching people at younger and younger ages, allowing youths to accomplish proficiency at skills that can include cyber bullying. Even more, the Web is almost impossible to regulate, resulting in the loss of accountability as well.
Although part of Myspace's slogan is "a place for friends," it was through this social networking site that these people gained power over Meier, resulting in her death.
Cyber bullying, as opposed to traditional bullying, whether it be physical or verbal, feeds on what is gained online. "What you've got is this sense of rudeness, and the rudeness is the same thing: I can be abrupt with you, I can be rude with you because I don't feel like I'm accountable in the same way in regular interactions," Ted Gaiser, a professor in the sociology department says.
The mindset of cyber bullying is inherently evolved. "In that same sense, I can be nasty and say things that are lies to hurt you and get away with it because it's the same kind of dynamic, that same 'pseudo-anonymity' or 'modified anonymity' and we're all a little bit anonymous. You don't see me. But I'm not really anonymous, I just think I am," Gaiser says.
The New York Times reported that most adolescents are simply not mature enough to handle this virtual world and the anonymous attacks it creates, citing that many adolescents take what is said online as truth. Although Meier serves as a constant reminder of this fact, it still remains that bullying persists and affects more than adolescents.
At Boston College, many students text message and use social networking Web sites, and although they may have matured considerably from elementary school, bullying through technology is not lost on college students.
"Although I don't think a lot of college students resort to cyber bullying, there are definitely some people who, whether on purpose or not, use technology to gossip or mock other people," says Natalia Ivanytsky, CSOM '10.
More than bullying though, Gaiser believes that college students lose themselves in what they think are merely pranks. "It's kind of in between, not plain friendly banter, but it's not bully-bullying, that's why I call it pranks; kind of like cyber pranks," Geiser says.
These pranks can range from embarrassing pictures put on the Internet to altered Facebook profiles, but what many students do not realize, Geiser says, is that these pranks have repercussions that could lead to the loss of an internship or job.
"I've learned from my own interactions with people online to always take a step back and think," Geiser says.
Although Web sites such as Facebook and Myspace have been manipulated to bully, the Web site, JuicyCampus.com, created in Aug. 2007, arguably advances the development of bullying online. Founded with the "mission of enabling online anonymous free speech on college campuses," JuicyCampus.com builds off of the pillars of cyber bullying, creating a space that allows fact and opinion to mix anonymously and publicly.
With ads on Facebook, the site offers college students an anonymous forum to start conversations about whatever they find "juicy." But with little limitations on Web site content and also the stated fact that any post cannot be removed except by the Web site itself, many of the discussions center on individuals publicizing information that initially goes unconfirmed, blurring the line between gossip and libel.
"Nothing good comes out of it. The Web site is just a way for people to trash talk without getting caught. But I can see the appeal, it can be entertaining to read," says Jessica Hough, A&S '10.
For Ivanytsky, Web sites like JuicyCampus.com lose much of their power with their anonymity. Because of the facelessness of the Web, she has avoided using it as a tool for discussions.
"I've thought about it, but then realized that it was a waste of time and way too cowardly because it's not done face to face. Because no one really believes what is written especially because it's anonymous, it could be the person writing it or someone [else] that personally has angst and will make something up," Ivanytsky says.
Although the Web site is less than a year old, it has steadily gained popularity as the number of posts and the length of threads increases.
"I think that it is useless to judge someone you may not even know and people will keep their own opinions no matter what they read," Ivanytsky says.
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