Moms spare over the violence on YouTube and MySpace.
We posted Cheerleaders Ambush, Beat Girl on Video and posed the question as to whether you thought these online communities promoted violence in our children. Janie responded: "I don't think MySpace or any social networking sites makes teens more violent--kids have ALWAYS been cruel...we just have the technology to capture it and prove how cruel they can be. Imagine if we didn't have digital video cams and etc.? This beating could have happened in the bathroom and the girl would have to prove these girls were the ones who beat her. Now, she doesn't and those girls will get what they deserve!"
Another mom disagrees: "This is absolutely a shame. I look at it as their wrong, but they're young adults...things like this are amusing to them and other young adults who watch it. They just need some guidance. And yes, I do think that YouTube makes them even more violent, because my son never got in fights at school until one day he slept over his cousin's house and they watched kids get jumped and beat up...so I am a witness."
Who do you agree with on this issue?
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I truly think the blame lies with the parents. These kids do not seem to know right from wrong. Youtube and the Internet just gives them an additional avenue to perpetrate their bullying/abusive behavior. Once again, where are the parents? Do they not monitor their children's online activities? Obviously not! They clearly don't monitor their children's real life activities either. The parents of these children should also receive a consequence IMHO.
I don't want technology to be blamed for this - kids have been bullying for years and cyberbullying is just part of the problem. Parents should keep strict watch of kids use of technology and spend time educating them. For one thing, I would not put a webcam or have a computer with a webcam built in - in a computer that is in a child's bedroom. And I think schools and parents should have punishment set up for cyberbullying. The best message to kids who think it is fun to use cyberbullying is: YOUR FUTURE EMPLOYER WILL SEE THAT VIDEO... Your actions online will be part of your digital identity SO MAKE THAT IDENTIFY ETHICAL and POSITIVE.