I really do want this blog to mostly be about food, but I’ve had an issue weighing on my mind for a few weeks now. Cyberbullying. It’s when technologies such as text messages, Facebook, IM’ing, etc are used to post images or words that are intended to hurt or embarrass another person. I think this is an important subject for everyone with a child in their life to learn about. I don’t want to cause further embarrassment and pain, so I’m not going to disclose everything that happened. What I will say is that children these days are mean. There is no better word to describe it. I really don’t believe children were as mean back when I was a child as they are now. It amazes me. Maybe I’m wrong; maybe I just wasn’t the one having meanness directed at me, but I don’t think I’m wrong. I’ve never seen anyone talk to each other the way I’ve seen a group of 13 and 14 year olds recently. They are at the age that is so hard. Right before you start high school and you are trying to discover yourself. I remember being pretty miserable during this time and I wasn’t being bullied.
I just can not fathom how you can talk to people so degradingly and with such hatred no matter what age you are. I don’t care who you are it is not right and it needs to be stopped. Children should not be treated this way by their peers. The most shocking thing was when I stepped in these kids were just as rude, mean, and disrespectful to me. Do kids have no respect for adults anymore? This one girl actually told me to shut the F up! Are you kidding me? She is lucky that I’m 7 hours away from where she is! And she wasn’t the only one; I had even more nastiness flung at me on Facebook from several other children. I thought okay maybe their parents do not realize they are acting this way, I’m sure it’s hard to monitor your child’s ever move. Then I notice that some of these children’s parents are also on Facebook and can see what their children are posting. Is this acceptable now? To allow your child to be mean to their classmates to the point of something like this happening and like this? I was on a Facebook board about cyberbullying and one mother said that the cyberbullying turned into real violence directed at her child. These children tried to push he child over a railing and down 3 stories. They did manage to stab her child with a lead pencil one day. What snaps in a child’s mind to make them believe these are things they should be doing to another child.
It’s not right. It shouldn’t happen. What is wrong with children these days? Is all the technology turning them into little monsters? I really do not know what else to attribute it to. Although I think parents are not raising children liked they used to. I really do believe that parents should all take a class on how to properly raise children. These days it seems there is a liaise-faire attitude that some parents have when it comes to parenting their children. I’ve seen parents say children need to get tougher. Cyberbullying is just the words written somewhere it doesn’t harm anyone. That’s complete BS. I’m not a 13 year old and I was very hurt and offended by what was being said by these children on Facebook. Enough of this tormenting is the same thing as being verbally abused by a parent as far as I’m concerned. The statistics on cyberbullying are shocking. I can’t even imagine being or raising a child in this day and age. As I’m typing this I’m having a hard time dealing with my anger and frustration over this. I thought I had calmed down, but apparently not. It is NOT okay to degrade someone. It is NOT okay to threaten someone. If these children can’t control themselves then there needs to be consequences for their actions.
If you have a child or know a child please talk to them about this issue. Everyone needs to be aware of what is happening. Remember the old saying: If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.
Thanks for listening. I really needed to get that off my mind.
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