http://www.fox10tv.com/dpp/news/special_reports/speical-report%3A-cyber-bullying
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| An innocent cell phone, or a weapon of mass destruction? |
As with every new advancement, new consequences emerge. With the benefit of all this new technology that is so readily availble, dangers arose. Unfortunately, these new dangers seem to primarily affect teenagers. This article by Lenise Ligon, of Fox 10 News of Alabama, was prompted by parents who wanted to know what to do in regards to the use of social networking sites and cell phones, which is becoming quite common among their children.
Instead of the playground and school hallways, bullies have now gone online to "burn pages" where anyone can rant about people or topics which they dislike intensely. At times, things online can end up in real life. At Mary G. Montgomery High School in Alabama, a 16-year-old was arrested because he threated to bring a gun to class. Where could this threat be found? The teenager posted his threat on a burn page. It seems as if many children are experiencing cyber bullying. Unfortunately, some of them take their lives as a result of it.
Alabama has laws against cyber bullying and you can see an excerpt of them on the link provided above.
Another issue with this new technology is "sexting" which is the sending of sexually explicit photos or messages. What is interesting is that teenagers don't know that doing this is considered child pornography, which is a very serious crime.
With great technology comes great responsibilities.
5W's
Who: Teenagers
What: Are being harrassed online or sending explicit messages or photos to eachother
When: This is a fairly recent trend
Where: In Alabama (but also throughout the entire United States)
Why: This article was written in response to parents contacting the news station for assistance
Is This Journalism?
This article, I believe, is in fact journalism. It is showing society one of it's problems and giving it suggestions as to how it can better the situation. It is showing the dangers of this readily available technology and how it is affecting their children. Then at the very end, it gives parents information and links on what they can do if their child is experiencing any of these things.
Conclusion
CBT: Salvation: Social Science: Throughout history, God has partnered with people to further His mission of salvation and redemption of a fallen creation. Because of His blessings, we have the responsibility to communicate the Gospel to a fallen world.
As I said above, with great technology comes great responsibility. Yes, I did steal that from Spiderman, but it has a lot of truth in it. Instead of spreading hate via the internet, Christians can spread love. A Christian, or anyone really, can write something nice about a person on a burn page or defend the person who is being attacked. God commanded us to care for those in need.
As for "sexting," I think it just proves how fallen the world has become. Now is more a time as ever for parents and adults, Christian or not, to "step up to the plate," if you will, and talk about these topics with teenagers. From a Christian perspective, the need for the Gospel very evident. By the looks of it, by the time I have grandchildren, the media will be so polluted that they very well may be pornography on TV during "Go Diego, Go!" Immediate action is nessecary. It is time to speak up.
