Topic: Web, HTML, Tech
First of all, I want apologize for blogging a second time as this is not typically my routine (I write too much as it is). But I have come across some recent video (I know, "Not more youtube!"), and I felt the situation was serious enough that it deserved attention.
A few years ago, a 13 year old girl named Megan Meier committed suicide after a boy named "Josh Evans", whom she had befriended and become romantic with online cruelly broke up with her. After logging off of her computer, she hung herself in her closet.
She did not die immediately, rather slowly from a crushed larynx a day later.
It was discovered later, through an investigation, that the mother of a former friend of Megan (whom she had a falling out with) had created the screen name and identity of "Josh" in order to spy on her and to toy with her.
Cyberbullying has not been slowed by this tragedy.
Currently, on YouTube there is a 12 year old boy with the screen name ChristianU2uber, who has become the target of hateful homophobic comments, mostly from adults, and video parodies containing his video clips with content that is similarly spiteful.
If you watch the video in it's entirety, at one point the boy says "I used to be gay, but then I decided it's wrong" at about 1:20 in the video. Since then slurs such as "homo" and "fag" have been posted to all of his videos and his channel page on YouTube, as well as going viral onto the web. All you have to do is "google" his name, and the results are staggering.
Nevermind that he is a Christian with obvious Evangelical influences, he's a 12 year old little boy. A little boy who is obviously confused by his own sexual identity and seems isolated by parents who seemingly have no involvement in the cruelty being perpetrated against him, either because of lack of supervision or simply indifference.
I am a mom, so my heart just breaks for this child. It really does.
If you would like to get involved, please contact YouTube and bring this situation to their attention and visit YouTube Abuse. Your voice can make a difference.
Before I close out this blog, I would like to honor a very brave little girl by the user name "PrincessBeexo" who stood up and spoke up for what she believed to be right. Her words, gave me hope for the future.
Brightest blessings.