2008 Woodie Awards
Too much attention too easy to get online
By: Marisha Pietrowski
Issue date: 4/17/08 Section: Forum
Last week in Polk County, Fla., eight teenagers were charged as adults for the brutal beating given to a 16-year-old classmate. The beating was recorded by a witness hoping to show the clip on Web sites such as MySpace and YouTube so the six girls who attacked their classmate could gain popularity and notoriety.
The video has shown up on the Internet, but not in the ways the six girls and two boys behind the attack expected.
The incriminating video has lead those behind the attack to gain national attention for their actions and criminal charges ranging from kidnapping to battery.
According to the attackers, the beating was an act of revenge against the victim, who was posting insulting items about them on sites such as MySpace.
While it's regrettable the victim would use the Web site to post questionable items about her classmates, the retaliation, as well as the quest for popularity through the Internet, are even more disturbing.
Gossip and backstabbing are not new problems for teenagers, and conflicts will arise. Unfortunately, physical bullying is nothing uncommon for teenagers past and present either.
A case such as this shows an even uglier side of bullying than the physical or verbal act itself for revenge; it shows the idea that such acts are done in order to gain notoriety amongst a school community.
To make matters even worse, the Internet is being used as a way to gain attention for brutal attacks like these.
First of all, it would be interesting to find out if the teenagers who are behind the beating thought that they could get away with their plans to post this violent video on the Internet for anyone to see.
If any YouTube browser or MySpace friend can see videos you post, what is going to stop someone watching it to turn you in to authorities?
The Internet was the medium where the girls found out about the mean messages the victim was posting about them. If it was that easy for these messages to get into the "wrong" hands, how easy would it be for this video to also get into the "wrong" hands (such as the police)?
The video has shown up on the Internet, but not in the ways the six girls and two boys behind the attack expected.
The incriminating video has lead those behind the attack to gain national attention for their actions and criminal charges ranging from kidnapping to battery.
According to the attackers, the beating was an act of revenge against the victim, who was posting insulting items about them on sites such as MySpace.
While it's regrettable the victim would use the Web site to post questionable items about her classmates, the retaliation, as well as the quest for popularity through the Internet, are even more disturbing.
Gossip and backstabbing are not new problems for teenagers, and conflicts will arise. Unfortunately, physical bullying is nothing uncommon for teenagers past and present either.
A case such as this shows an even uglier side of bullying than the physical or verbal act itself for revenge; it shows the idea that such acts are done in order to gain notoriety amongst a school community.
To make matters even worse, the Internet is being used as a way to gain attention for brutal attacks like these.
First of all, it would be interesting to find out if the teenagers who are behind the beating thought that they could get away with their plans to post this violent video on the Internet for anyone to see.
If any YouTube browser or MySpace friend can see videos you post, what is going to stop someone watching it to turn you in to authorities?
The Internet was the medium where the girls found out about the mean messages the victim was posting about them. If it was that easy for these messages to get into the "wrong" hands, how easy would it be for this video to also get into the "wrong" hands (such as the police)?
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 2
Nicole
posted 4/18/08 @ 9:31 PM EST
Okay, so I have this great idea.
We stalk the campus, looking for anybody and everybody, and when we see something even remotely violent, we tape it, put it on youtube, and wait. (Continued…)
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