Amanda Todd

[AmZ]

Even though I am outside of Canada and the States, through my blog subscriptions, I have been reading about Amanda Todd from Canada who committed suicide due to bullying. She was 15 years old. It's such a sad story.

I read on someone's blog that if you're outside of the US and Canada, then stop reading right now, go to YouTube, type in her name and her video will come up. I did that and watched the video she had made to express what she was going through. It made me cry.

It's a video just including her torso and she's holding up pieces of paper which contain written word about what she had been going through and the whole story of the bullying she experienced.

I don't know if people want to comment further on this or add the YouTube video to the thread.

It just really touched my heart and I thought it was so important to perhaps post about.

 

[W00BY]

It is truly the downside to the internet

Teenagers who have grown up with this technology don't see they are as vulnerable if not more so in such mediums as facebook etc

Parents are certainly not on top of it in most circumstances either.

My teenage daughter had been on facebook for less than 24 hours when a pedophile tried to add her and started sending her filthy messages. She alerted me straight away. My daughter was shocked and bemused as to how he even knew of her as I had set her account up so that it could only be seen by her friends.

We had not thought of the fact that if people on her friends list have public friends lists she could be found in this way, what he was effectively doing was browsing school girls who had public profiles and picking who he "fancied" and contacting them.

Having been an internet host for a long time I am well aware of how people can manipulate or be manipulated on the internet and have educated my kids on what is and is not acceptable on the net I have all passwords to sites they frequent and a good tip is to when you let them on a computer is to leave a browser of your own open and tell them to leave it open, that way you can check the browsing history after they are done.

Teenagers are emotional and vulnerable as it is, they are trying to work out who they are and where they are going and one or two moments online with the wrong person can easily lead as it has done to this situation with this girl.

There was in Scotland a recent case where a father was blackmailing girls on facebook to expose themselves and do sexual acts which he recorded by posing as a teenager himself his behavior caused so much distress to the young girls involved. And sat at his computer doing it while his own daughters and wife were in the house.

Recently in my kids school there has also been a spate of kids encouraging each other to send pictures of their genitalia to each other and then it being posted up online, what astonishes me is the lack of understanding that these kids have on how it affects the person who is the subject of this behavior and also that the vast majority of them find it funny.

I am beginning to wonder if the internet has made bullying easier and nastier.

 

[Mari]

There are candlelight vigils being held this evening for Amanda Todd but none that I know of in my area. I made a poster with the words that AmZ posted in quotes although I am not sure my computer skills will allow it to show properly. I did light a candle for Amanda, for my son, and for all the other young people who have been what I call "bullied to death". The poster is a reminder to me that every person is beautiful, including you, so please always remember that your life is worth living and always keep hope in your heart. Be as kind and loving and caring as you can be to yourself and others and reach out to someone each and every day.

 

[AmZ]

Beautiful Mari. I am so sorry to hear about your son too.

I'm speechless.

 

[MHealthJo]

Oh my gosh Mari, my heart goes out to you...

Wishing as much peace as can possibly come to you...

 

[rdw]

Mari your poster is beautiful! Thank you for your kindness and positive words.
I am so sorry to hear about your son. You are in my thoughts and heart today.