Cyber-bullying leads to teen's suicide

[Vector]

http://www.examiner.com/a-2544367~NY_teen_s_suicide_doesn_t_stop_harassing_Web_posts.html

[Bertha]

Its really awful that a young girl killed herself but to be honest I think there must of been more going on in her personal life than cyber bullying.The difference with cyber bullying to actual bullying is you have control as to how much abuse you allow yourself to be exposed to,you could always just avoid sites that are prone to bullying.
The reason I think this girl must of had more problems than cyber bullying in her life is how often stories like suicide or violence involving young people are blamed on video games,movies or the internet, nothing is ever really mentioned about the childs personal life,parents or upbringing and to be honest if someone hurts themselves or others due to watching a movie or playing a game than they must of had mental problems to begin with.
Its really sad things like this happen and that there are people in the world who get their kicks from bullying but I'm a little tired of games,movies and the internet taking the rap for it.

We may be in the minority, but I agree. Cyber bullying is terrible, yes, but it is slightly more avoidable than direct, face to face bullying. And anyone putting any personal information out on the internet faces the risk of being harassed. If you are easily emotional and are having issues with people in your life as is, you're only setting youself up for trouble by getting a myspace/facebook/twitter whatever. And you're also right that there is probably a lot more to the story than "girl kills herself over internet bullies".
And CR29's newest link rather hints at what has been stated.

Her parents told Newsday they don't believe the messages led to her suicide

And also...people blame 4chan and /b/, yet where exactly is there proof that it was people from there? "Anonymous" is associated with the site, yet I can create a fake account on any website and be anonymous as well. Yes, I'm sure people from /b/ did troll the page, yet I doubt they were the ones to start the whole bullying in the first place.

[Vector]

^ I would've had no idea that 4chan was involved but the day I posted this(the day that all the awful shit was being posted), there were numerous comments from people telling the kids who were getting upset that the page was getting "/b/ bombed." I'd never heard of it but I figured what it was. It was definitely a group effort, though. There were numerous people with fake accounts all posting at around the same time, calling her 'an hero' and stupid shit like that, the type of stupid-ass memes that come from places like 4chan.

The only person who really knows why she decided to end her life is her, obviously, but everything I read(even before it was getting reported on) is saying that it was related to her formspring getting bombarded with insults, so that's all we have to go on right now.

[The_15th]

Weither she had "problems" or not doesn't excuse what they did, you either leave people with problems alone or you try to help.

[YamiYumes]

Weither she had "problems" or not doesn't excuse what they did, you either leave people with problems alone or you try to help.

That's going on the assumption that we live in a perfect world...which we obviously do not. People get bullied and either they deal with it and move on, or...They deal with it in other ways.

Suicide is one of them. A rather selfish solution, but irregardless, it happens. When you put yourself out on the net like that, you open yourself to attack. If you can't take the heat, get out of the fire.

Or don't put yourself out as much as she did, I suppose. Again, it doesn't make what they've done right...but what else is one to expect? If you post something personal about yourself on a PUBLIC site, then there's always the chance that people you don't know or don't WANT will come by and start posting.

That's just how the internet works.

[Bertha]

^ I would've had no idea that 4chan was involved but the day I posted this(the day that all the awful shit was being posted), there were numerous comments from people telling the kids who were getting upset that the page was getting "/b/ bombed." I'd never heard of it but I figured what it was. It was definitely a group effort, though. There were numerous people with fake accounts all posting at around the same time, calling her 'an hero' and stupid shit like that, the type of stupid-ass memes that come from places like 4chan.

The only person who really knows why she decided to end her life is her, obviously, but everything I read(even before it was getting reported on) is saying that it was related to her formspring getting bombarded with insults, so that's all we have to go on right now.

Still that's not really proof. Memes exist because they have spread due to their popularity. And how easy would it be for someone who knows anything about the internet and e-harassment to blame /b/? Not that I'm trying to absolve them of any wrongdoing.

Honestly, I don't see why people care. People are bullied everyday. People problably bullied kids when they were in school here. Someone (popular) killed themselves. If this girl did not have the level of popularity, would anyone be making a case like this? Chances are, not.

[Vector]

I know it's not proof, but when I first posted this thread it was as everything was first going on. There were around 1,000 members. Currently, there are over 6,000. At the time, the wall was a back and forth between fake accounts, reactions from the affected kids and two or three people posting about /b/. There's no way to prove that this specific site was involved, but judging by the reactions of people in this thread or seem to know a thing or two about /b/ and things they've done in the past, what else are we supposed to think?

Honestly, I don't see why people care. People are bullied everyday. People problably bullied kids when they were in school here. Someone (popular) killed themselves. If this girl did not have the level of popularity, would anyone be making a case like this? Chances are, not.

As I said, I posted this at the time it was happening and the shit I saw on the page I will never un-see. Never before had I witnessed such outright evil and insensitivity. It really hurt me and had me feeling extremely emotional and downright nauseous. If I saw this kind of thing happen to a memorial for a kid who was 'un-popular' or whatever, I would've had the exact same reaction.

I hate to quote The Dark Knight right here, but it's appropriate. Her suicide was not 'part of the plan.' If a loner kills themselves, or if someone who's a lightning rod for insults, an overweight kid or a kid of a certain ethnicity or an emo kid or whatever, if one of them commits suicide, it's usually not as big a deal. It's sad, but it's true. One attractive, athletic, popular girl with a bright future kills herself and it's big news.

I don't make the 'rules' of this world, I just live here.

[Gideon Quinn]

I hate to quote The Dark Knight right here, but it's appropriate. Her suicide was not 'part of the plan.' If a loner kills themselves, or if someone who's a lightning rod for insults, an overweight kid or a kid of a certain ethnicity or an emo kid or whatever, if one of them commits suicide, it's usually not as big a deal. It's sad, but it's true. One attractive, athletic, popular girl with a bright future kills herself and it's big news.

Thanks for reminding me of something...

http://www.theonion.com/articles/ugly-girl-killed,988/

I know it's satire, but the message it conveys is very true/relevant.

[The_15th]

I can't say I'm a fan of group efforts when it comes to cyber bullying. I believe it should be harder to get accounts. That's why I mostly stick around to sites I trust. Not cause of fear of bullying, just that I don't like it even as a silent witness.

[kiedistidus]

Don't get me fucking started.

Is that a threat? if so your just further proving my point!



At the end of the day this shit happens every day all over the world,call me cold if you want but everyone has problems its unfortunate that this girl felt it necessary to take her own life and that certain people have took it upon themselves to be uneccesarily evil but unless you plan to make a stand about it in a serious fashion than what good does it do getting so irrate about it.

Its like certain illnessses anorexia for example, to me these diseases are no more than a product of a spoilt society, do you ever see teenage girls in parts of starving africa refusing food because they think it would ruin there image? No! I know bullying is tough especially when your a kid but if you choose not to seek help or arent strong enough to carry on then im sorry I have very little sympathy for you if anything I feel for the people youve left with the pain of losing someone they love.

[YamiYumes]

Is that a threat? if so your just further proving my point!

That was hardly a threat...lol

At the end of the day this shit happens every day all over the world,call me cold if you want but everyone has problems its unfortunate that this girl felt it necessary to take her own life and that certain people have took it upon themselves to be uneccesarily evil but unless you plan to make a stand about it in a serious fashion than what good does it do getting so irrate about it.

Its like certain illnessses anorexia for example, to me these diseases are no more than a product of a spoilt society, do you ever see teenage girls in parts of starving africa refusing food because they think it would ruin there image? No! I know bullying is tough especially when your a kid but if you choose not to seek help or arent strong enough to carry on then im sorry I have very little sympathy for you if anything I feel for the people youve left with the pain of losing someone they love.

This is about the same view I hold on the subject. If the person was too weak willed to seek help or even try to deal with the pain, then...I have little sympathy for them. They made that choice, and I view it as selfish. Those left behind are scarred for the rest of their lives because of one person's cowardice.

Yes, it is sad...but to me, it's also extremely idiotic of someone to allow another person's words affect them to the point of taking their own life.

[Jill's Pills]

I've heard of both of those stories and think the internet is becoming dangerous for some people on certain websites. Technology is getting pretty crazy. Some of the people who use it are pretty creepy and a little on the dark side. Where the hell do they learn these things? Let me guess...the internet???

[Jill's Pills]

http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/phoebe-prince-suicide-leads-to-indictment-of-9-south-hadley-students/19418522?sms_ss=email

Here's the one about Phoebe Prince I saw on Yahoo 3 weeks ago