Objectification, hate, rape threats: the politicians debating online abuse mean well, but to truly understand, they need to see what I see
the politicians debating online abuse mean well
Let me stop you there
I’d give her a pass for being 15
That’s fair. She’ll get it.
NEVER use social media that requires your personal information. Try not to use it at all.
This is a voluntary social disease. It’s not necessary.
My teachers taught me to never ever give my personal data away to strangers for my own safety. Now politicians want to force everyone to do just that. For safety reasons…
The problem is if everyone uses it then it creates great pressure for others to also use it. I try to avoid it as best I can and prefer to only use platform where I can post under a variety of names without hard links to my real identity.
You cannot ask a 15 year old for that. They are subject to peer pressure. The only way is to forbid or restrict the access to Social Media to minors. The real question is: who must do it?
Forbid this, forbid that… How about actual fucking parenting instead? As a “zoomer” who used to use antisocial media back when I was 15 but didn’t end up encountering all this objectification crap 'til much later on in life despite being having better computer skills than my parents, let me testify that having hobbies helps. And most of my hobbies developed with considerable help from my parents whom I was able to ask for help/advice.
You cannot compare with someone in their 15 today: average time spent with families is decreasing, and the average time that teenagers spend in touch with their peers (not necessarily in person, but also via IM) is increasing, and therefore also the peer pressure. Also, what about those kids with absent parents? What about those kids with toxic or incompetent parents?
Sure, I agree with anyone who says that kids should be guided and assisted on social media in the right environments, or in a way to find the right spaces to express themselves (with hobbies, sports, group activities, whatever), and I’ll vote for anyone who could do anything on that purpose. But we can also imagine flying cars at this point.
the politicians debating online abuse mean well
Hard disagree.
That sounds awful why would you keep using a platform like that?
Presumably because all of her friends do, and if she quits using it, then she’ll be left out of her friends’ group chats on IG and be out of the loop on jokes and memes between her friends. Might seem unimportant to an adult, but devastating for a teenager.
Your comment is similar to saying “cyberbullying isn’t real, just turn off the PC”. Because getting pushed out of social spaces on the internet leaves kids feeling isolated, and deprives them of access to shared spaces that their friends use to connect with each other.
One might say “They can just connect in person!” Presumably they do, but the internet is an inescapable part of modern life and that is unlikely to change. We should push for a better internet, rather than telling people to simply stop using it if they’re suffering.
I used to be bullied hard in elementary for being neurodivergent and “living under a rock”, and I did not know what was cool or uncool because I didn’t have WiFi at home. To illustrate how ridiculous it was, I got bullied for playing Minecraft to the point that if I left my redstone blueprints on my table they would crumple it, and whenever I ate vegetables they would say, “ew vegetables!!!”.
That sounds terrible. I’m sorry you were treated so badly.
This article is to push legislation to kick her off. She is saying “it would be a good thing for under 16s to be banned from social media”. So I think saying why do you feel this way but continue to engage is a fair point.
This is not the average experience so instead of everyone being punished it should be addressed on an individual level. Plenty of people have a healthy relationship with it.
This absolutely is the average experience for young women on social media, and moreover it’s the intended experience. Making girls feel like shit about themselves has gotten powerful men money, sex, and more power for a very very long time.
This article is to push legislation to kick her off
Her and all her friends.
And the article was written by a man.
I have a small tight group of guys and gals I occasionally play online games with and I seldom play games where I’m matched up with strangers. It’s not worth it.
As soon as they hear you are a chick… Most usually start with the low hanging fruit “You fat and ugly”
Although one time some guy kept saying I was probably old. Like 40. With 2 kids. I thought that was slightly more creative. But still basic.
I am 40 actually. But I don’t have kids and told him No crotch goblins for me. They might end up like him.
Then told him I could tell he was nervous cause his voice was shakey. Asked him if this was his first time talking to a female.
Then I blocked him and left the game so he couldnt do any come back.
This young woman is an exceptional writer. Not many her age can achieve such coherency and well laid structure in longer essays.
I hope she will continue using her skills and keep fighting against this new rise of misogyny.
She doesn’t know the half of it. She’s a good kid
Read a bit into this. That’s not how teens write.
What makes you say this?
There’s a lot of astroturfing online in favor of online censorship and inacting online verifications.
And apparently lemmings are all too happy to play Helen Lovejoy, as long as the children are girls.
