Oct 8, 2010

Have you been dun goofed?

If you've never heard of the line, you can check this link for some info. I dont want to go into all the details of the history of that popular "cyberphrase". I would admit that when I first watched the video below, I thought it was hilarious though But then I also realized, it was mean. What if it was my own Dad being mocked by the whole world? I know his kid Jessie went overboard with some videos she uploaded on the internet. Still I think, how they all reacted to the whole thing was overkill. Her line about the glock and the slushy brain is shocking coming from a kid though.


I thought of writing this post because Ive noticed a series of cyber-bullying happening lately. Ive read a string of suicide among teenagers because of getting nasty messages and even videos uploaded on the internet. Most recently a Rutgers student killed himself after his roomate videotaped him having sex with another guy, The roommate allegedly streamed the video on the net.

A few years ago, a young girl named Megan Meier killed herself after being receiving an offensive and demoralizing message by a supposed "boy" she had grown to like on the internet. The boy turned out to be the mother of a former friend of Megan.

Early this year a talented girl, Alexis Skye Pilkington killed herself too. The list goes on. My heart goes out to these kids. 

I honestly know how these kids feel. A year ago I had my share of cyberbullying. Someone took some photos I had uploaded on myspace and used it on a blog. The story was so twisted that i shook my head in disbelief so many times It made me dizzy. The author of that blog made sure to make me look as bad as possible and incited for her fans to say the most racist and hateful comments you can imagine. And since I was not a local, and I was unpopular and poor, I was subject to a  thousand of these trolls' malevolent messages and comments. They went as far as locating my twitter and myspace accounts to make sure their messages were received. The messages were really very revolting. These people didnt even know me yet they based their assumptions of who I am on one person's account.

The reason? My husband thought her blog was garbage and that she is ugly. It didnt even have anything to do with me.  I didnt even think the girl was ugly. But then, I started getting messages even on my twitter, the girl calling me uglier than her. I didnt say she was ugly. I said I was prettier than her, out of jest.

Well since my husband is American, it was easier to pick on the wife who was from a 3rd world country,.then the issue of racism reared its ugly head. Also I have a lot of photos on myspace, uneditted and goofy. No I dont know how to use adobe photoshop.  The perfect material to use for a write up about an ugly, Filipino living in a dingy apartment with her jobless husband. 

Up to this day I really cant believe people would go through such length to retaliate just because someone does not like the way they look. Some people dont find Angelina Jolie pretty, but she does not care. She does not stoop down and attack every individual who does not appreciate her beauty. 

My experience with cyberbullying was a year ago. It was a painful, humiliating incident but I was over it in a month. Im kinda glad I had the maturity to deal with it and not let it get the best of me. Fortunately, I took it in stride no matter how embarrassing it was. Because whatever these people, who tried to diss me said, it didnt really matter. The truth is, Ive been living in their country for 3 years. I kept wondering where these people were. There were a thousand of them who called  me ugly, a maid, that I had yellow teeth and that I should just kill myself. I didnt see a thousand goodlooking kids in those 3 years Ive stayed in their country. So Im positive that these keyboard warriors like to say such things on the net but in reality, they have insecurities that are deepseated. Putting another person down mayhave made them feel good about themselves. I hope I have helped them in that department. I am not arrogant to say that I dont think Im ugly. I just happen to have the confidence to say I am happy with the way I look. I dont have any intentions to resort to any aesthetic procedure to alter my appearance. Id probably just exercise and use make up to accentuate the features I find pleasing. I am proud and grateful of what the good Lord has given me.

Besides,the only opinion that matters to me is that of those I respect and care about. 

If maybe I was still a teenager, it is possible I would have succumbed to the same fate as these kids who tragically took their lives. I know what feels like to be ridiculed and harassed on the internet. Its not a great feeling and experience. But it is during such times like that you have to reach out to those who care about you. A great network of friends and family really can come in handy in such moments of despair and helplessness. 

It is sad however to think that there are people out there who are so evil to not think what if this happened to them. What if someone posted a video of them making out with someone? What if their little sister or brother gets taunted in school and later on it drives them to kill themselves? Some people can only take so much.

I heard they will pass a law in the usa to prevent cyberbullying.  But there have been so many laws passed to prevent pedophiles from proliferating by the number too. sadly, they seem to multiply like fungi, also at an alarming rate. I can only pray that no more kids have to be victims of such monstrosity. online or otherwise.


 to  the victims who died because of cyberbullying, Rest in peace.




1 comment:

  1. I think it's easier to track and punish cyber bullying, to some extent, than it is to track pedophiles whose actions aren't always reported.

    I think the difference between the Rutgers student case and the Jessie case is that the student was a victim in this all the way around. He was doing his own business in the privacy of his own home, and his privacy was violated without permission by his roommate and that girl. Jessie, on the other hand, made herself look like a fool.

    Laws against cyber bullying to protect children is a good idea, regardless.

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