You've all heard the stories or read them in various places on the internet "CHILD COMMITS SUICIDE THANKS TO BULLIES"...Bloody shocking innit in this day and age that this can happen..Even more shocking is that people actually push individuals to the brink where they TOP THEMSELVES for want of a better word..
I remember reports coming out of a town in wales not too long back of quite a few people taking their own lives..i'm not 100 % sure why this was, but i do believe there was a link somewhere to cyber-bullying.
I thought i'd cover this topic for a change after a brief exchange of opinion with believe it or not a doctor regarding STALKERS..We both concluded that basically if you don't want to be stalked then dont use the sites that are open for all to see..Yes there are and always will be social wierdos or should i say anti-social..also twisted jilted ex's who just cant let go, and of course those so obsessed and jealous of people who follow their every move and hang onto every word they may type on the net...These types realy should be excluded from using the net and laws and detection put in place to maintain this.
I have only realy been familiar with the internet for approx 4 years..i started off on silly chat sites on my phone, then as time and technology became available i obviously use my blackberry and laptop.
While using a chat/avatar site i struck up a few friendships and realy enjoyed using the site to express myself by way of mini-blogs or short statements...These were obviously commented on and at times i'd be visited by the odd numpty who thought it fun to abuse me or mock my words..Being the type of character who dont take no shite from nobody, i'd hit back and an all out cyber-war would break out.
Sad thing is i'd let this bother me and often i'd close my phone and think OMG these people are plain crazy..yes i got death threats and threats to be stabbed or shot..being a bit naive i realy did think these bastards were serious...Anyway as time went on i just focused on the friendships and blanked the nutters (BEST WAY) i'm sure you'll agree.
One of my online friends, a lady in america who in her mid 50s was and still is one of the nicest friendliest kindest people you could ever wish to converse with on the net..Over a period of time the nutters would attack her verbally with the sole intent of inflicting misery..now i know you're maybe thinking she should be old and wise enough to just shake this crap off, but sadly she wasn't and the constant bullying got to the level where she seriously looked at killing herself...Not liking this one bit i obviously talked to her and convinced her to seek medical help and to cut herself away from the site..not an easy task for me to get into her head and convince, but one i'd readily do in real life so to speak if a friend was in dire-straights.
She did seek help and was diagnosed very seriously depressed and put on a programme of drugs and therapy, which over time thankfully got her back to being her happy go lucky self..
Now being a bit more clued up and always ready for the odd loser to take a dislike to what i say online, i feel it perfectly right to give these nutters a run for their money..See just like in the school playground or in the workplace, if you let these freaks get you down they come back for more and wont let go till you satisfy their lust for tears and leaving you a nervous wreck...I just dont take it..i've had a few scraps on twitter with idiots who for some reason dont like my tweets or feel the urge to pick a fight..Yes there's banter and a bit of wind-up, thats all good crack as they say and can be quite a good laugh...However for someone to lable someone a racist simply because of a name i use online (monkeyhanger) i find very disturbing..I did change my name on twitter last year for a while so as not to offend people...But after around 6 months thought NO fuck it..my twitter, my name my choice..so i changed it back and to hell with those who take offence (their problem and ignorance not mine)...
Concluding this blog i'd just like to say to those who may be reading this and feel they are becoming victims of the losers i've mentioned above..Get to your Doctor, tell him the whole truth and he will help you decide which course of action to take as well as help you to get better if you're being mentally tortured...The bullies must be held accountable for their actions in all cases and there is a network of support out there for all if you dig deep, get brave and talk....NO PERSON should have to go through this in silence..its 2011 and although sometimes we moan..its still the best era to be LIVING in rather than becoming yet another statistic and memory.
