Topic: Cyberbullying

For what it's worth, it very rarely happens with me in online gaming. I pretty much always turn off voice chat, and tend to use voice chat with my friends. The one time it did happen was on a PC game, I just blocked the user on Steam.

In forums, let's say there are gaming forums I've been to in the past where I've been bullied over simply liking a game just because it didn't get close to that perfect 10/10, or simply enjoy a cartoon-based game being someone who always liked cartoons. Those are things that actually made me leave forums in the past. Why can't I just enjoy the games or things I like?

These forums however, have been more friendly than other places I've been to. Yeah differences in opinions are expected, and have my disagreements, but haven't been bullied once here.

Just sharing a personal experience, that's all.

Wait ... so you assume that people who say "get a thicker skin or get off the Internet" are actually bullies who want easier way to behave badly towards others?

And what is so bad about saying that if you can't handle the horribleness of some internet trolls to pack your bags and delete you social media accounts?

Do you have other solutions? Hire a tracking team that will find the bully and a SWAT team to put a bag over his head and take him to jail?

That is why there are places like this site where comments are moderated and deleted, banned etc.

That is why there is ignore and report buttons.

But at the end nothing more can be done. You can't educate the bullies.

I do recognise there is a difference between a few unsavoury messages and an ongoing bullying case, just to clarify. But if someone is mounting an ongoing bullying attack on you, that is harassment, and there are laws against that already.

To anybody saying "educate the victim", you try telling a bullied 8 year old, who may not have anyone to confide in, to get over it. I'm all for friendly discussion about this - but i disagree with that idea completely.

@Zuljaras No, I don't assume people telling others to get a thicker skin are *****. That's why I said they want the freedom to do so, not that they actually are *****. The solution? Don't be a jerk to others. Again, someone has to actually go out of their way and invest time in order to harass others. You are acting as if people need to harass others in order to survive. You are telling the people who are affected by the harassment to leave the Interent instead of telling the harassers to leave the Internet. This is definitely getting into victim blaming territory if you ask me.
And sure, the Internet is a horrible place but simply accepting that it has to be a horrible place is kind of a poor way to go about it. It's kind of a self fullfilling prophecy. And while you make it sound extreme, I do indeed think that there need to be consequences for someone who keeps harassing others, especially when it comes to bullying.

Moderation is indeed good but I'd also advise others to step up for those getting harassed. E.g. don't just be a bystander when you see someone telling someone to kill themselves. Call them out on their inappropriate behaviour instead of looking away and thinking "that's the Internet for you".

I would instead educate the useless parents that let this happen. Parents should constantly monitor their kid's online activity, not let them roam free.

The internet isn't going to change. The communities get much harsher they further you go in.

@MajinSoul Sorry but humans do not work like that. Some are raised to be ruthless and unpleasant. I know it is grim but the Internet is giving power to people that otherwise wouldn't say a word. Do you think such people even care if someone call them out? Sure you can try.

If someone constantly bullies a victim in all possible ways not only via chats etc. then this could be reported to the authorities and hell will rain on them.

But if some random troll that just likes to go on his/her fake profile and throw some slurs or death threats on random people online I see no reason for people to cry like it is the end of the world. If something like that can make a person depressed then the issue is much, much worse. Call it victim blaming if you want I don't mind.

@Sdelintwouters Same here, so I feel your pain School life was horrible for me, hated every second of it. Bullying of any sort has no place in my life now. Blocking/removing/ignoring is something I don't hold back on now. Problem is it's got easier for bullies now they can hide behind a keyboard

There are lots of concepts an 8 year old can't be expected to fully grasp, that doesn't mean you fill their heads with counter-productive stuff about 'bad words' either.

And as I said, ongoing bullying in your offline life is different to one-off online messages.

@MsJubilee yes! I fully support the parents bearing the responsibility. The only downside to that the parents aren't always preasant.

@gcunit im not a parent, but if i was i would absolutely instill in my child the difference between right and wrong and how you're supposed to treat others (and the consequences of your actions and words). Otherwise the internet might as well raise them and determine their values (which is prolly why this is as big a problem as it currently is). And i'm also suggesting that there are plenty of 8 year olds who are both the victim and culprit of online bullying.

Ah progress. We have gone from some people saying victims need to stop being sawft and stop crying to being half-convinced and saying harassment isn't okay and should be reported.

Carry on, Miss Representin'.

@jump I say that harassment is not ok AND that softies should stop crying. Both are not mutually exclusive.

I did not know this thread was created so people can confirm that online bulling is not ok

These responses are deeply disturbing.

@gcunit @Zuljaras Have I? You two have at first put forward a very specific idea of what cyber bullying is in your first posts in the thread, a random troll account saying something to someone and think they should get over it as it's just a death threat, racial slur or whatever but as the conversation has grown you have expanded it to include harassment.

One of the issues with cyberbullying is people don't take it seriously because it's just the internet but it's not just faceless trolls, it's the same bullies in real life just now using an extra tool to bully.

These responses are deeply disturbing.

How deeply?

@jump and what do you suggest?

I suggested that people should start using the ignore, block and report functions in the online environment.

If you do not like that we can go back to the tracking & SWAT idea.

Joking aside more awareness is not needed as all people know that the Internet can be a very dark place. So what is my solution? Stay on its bright side

Even with all the the moderation in the universe social networks can never be free from bullies.

@Zuljaras Oh there's not a permeant quick fix solution where you press a button and everything is now groovy. The solution is for there to be a continuous work in progress but a first step is for us to not disconnect cyberbullying from bullying especially as each generation becomes more and more ingrained with the internet.

@Pizzamorg disturbing? Eh, not really. They're cruel and insensitive to the topic. Maybe they have never been bullied, so they don't know how it feels.

Okay so im on my lunch break and i watched the trailer and a bit of the interview.

First impressions: im glad Monica Lewinsky addressed her....infamy. If only briefly. After she did I realized how much sense it made. Secondly, it looks like its going to contrast how social media is used for "cancel culture" and "boycotting" as well as harassment and bullying. Thats interesting. It's essentially the same methodology (eg large group of people making a concerted effort via the internet), but one is protestation and the other harassment. Final thought - do the massive social media companies not moderate harassment? I dont facebook, twitter, etc.. The onus is on them to make sure that things dont get out of hand on their platforms.