We all love our mobile (cell) phones, and our social networking. Technology has made our lives richer, and we can all communicate with each other so much more easily than in years gone by. However, what happens when that very technology is used against us?
I refer to the fact that in modern times, if a child in school is bullied because he is seen as being somehow “different” from the crowd, the bullying doesn’t stop at the classroom. He or she can now receive messages via Facebook or Twitter, and have mean and disparaging photographs, video or text written about them and passed around a whole school. The emotional trauma that follows the kid around via messages in his own pocket merely solidifies his own lack of self-worth, and feelings of helplessness. There is no escape!
For some, they battle on regardless, and somehow get through the misery brought upon them by others. But for those for whom the tauntings and belittlement become just too much for them to bear, sometimes they perceive that their only way out is suicide. They only want the mountain of hurt in their head to stop, but as they have no control over other people’s actions, all they can do is stop their pain by ending it all.
Suicide brings emotional devastation to children, grandchildren, parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and friends of the victim. These survivors are not included in the teenage suicide statistics that are available to us.
Somewhere, a teenager commits suicide every 18 minutes.
Every day 80 Americans take their own lives and more than 1,900 are seen in hospital emergency rooms for self-inflicted injury. A disproportionate number are youngsters between the ages of 12 and 17.
Cyberbullying has created new levels of stress for our youth, which directly impacts suicidal behaviours. It is vitally important that you monitor what your child is doing on the Internet and via their mobile phone. You may just be able to avoid yet another ‘statistic’.
August 2010. I’ve just come back from the Doctor’s, and he has given me two weeks off work with my damned bad back. It gipped out on me last week, the first time in months, and as well as the pain, I couldn’t keep my left leg still! It was jittering and juddering all on its own, despite me willing it to stop. And so here I sit. My cushions arranged neatly into a soft brick in my lumbar area. My YouTube, Gmail and Yahoo mail and Facebook tabs all open. I should be continuing with my Internet Marketing, but my mood is low. No messages. No emails. I don’t want them anyway right now. My mood is low. I told you. The dog is curled up on the mat, snoring softly. The sun is warm on my back as it streams through the window. It is summer. I should be happy. But my mood is low. Close my eyes. Maybe I could nap. Yes, nap, then wake up feeling brighter. Maybe. And maybe pigs might fly, but I’ve yet to see one.
