cyberbullying

When it comes to cyberbullying I think we need to take a step back and look at it as a social issue rather than blame the internet as a whole and restrict access. As we discussed in class much of what is being labeled as "cyberbullying" is just drama in the everyday lives of teenagers such as girls fighting over boys or just inside jokes between friends. But unfortunately when this drama goes public it tends to become overblown. I think one way to address this issue is to teach internet etiquette early. I know that when I was in middle school my parents had no idea what AIM or an online chat room was and even now kids are gaining access to the internet at a younger age and many parents still may not monitor their activity or even understand it. I think we also need to teach young people that sometimes problems need to be handled face to face rather than in the public eye. However as cliche as it sounds I believe as my generation starts having kids of their own they can pass down their understanding of the internet and learn from the mistakes or misunderstandings of the previous generation.