Reasons NOT to Cyber Bully

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cyberbullying

Cyber bullies hide behind computer screens, protected, and it fuels their power. But actually, it shows a real weakness of character. This “power” can hurt, diminish, and even destroy lives. Is it worth it? These recent studies show the realities of cyberbullying:

• “Among overweight adolescents, 61% have received mean or embarrassing posts online and 59% have received mean texts, e-mails or instant messages” (Anderson, Bresnahan, & Musatics, 2014).

• Cyberbullying has negative effects on victims, such as lowering self-esteem, increasing depression and producing feelings of powerlessness (Anderson, Bresnahan, & Musatics, 2014).

• Bully victims are between 2 to 9 times more likely to consider suicide than non-victims, according to studies by Yale University (Yale University, Office of Public Affairs, “Bullying-Suicide Link Explored in New Study by Researchers at Yale”)

One last statistic: “It is estimated that about 2.2 million students experienced cyberbullying in 2011” (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2013). With these numbers, it ‘s safe to assume we’ve all experienced cyberbullying on some level. My first experience left me in a state of shock and hurt. I wanted to ask the person who posted the horrible message why he or she did it, but I never had the chance. I never found out who it was since he/she hid behind a fake username. But what I did learn from the experience was the following: 1) the attack was more about the bully than me 2) while I felt vulnerable and exposed, I didn’t have to let it overpower me and 3) there was something I could do about it.

I decided to fight back. Now, I’m not saying to wage a full-on cyber war. Posting responses can fuel bullies and often do more harm than good. But I am saying that you can do something—whether it’s getting a post removed from social sites, informing others about bullying, or simply not letting it overpower you (I know, easier said than done). I could have ignored the hateful post and let him have the power, but I didn’t. And eventually, the post was removed because I assumed my own power. Let’s promote and support an anti-bullying message so that communities can partner to protect children and young adults from abusive situations.

Websites consulted for statistics used:http://www.meganmeierfoundation.org/cyberbullying-social-media.html    and http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/bullying-and-suicide.html

One Good Reason Adults Should Read YA

A while back, I came across a friend’s Facebook post that said the following: “Read whatever you want, but you should feel embarrassed when what you’re reading was written for children.” The friend who posted the slate.com article by Ruth Graham added this note: “Yes, I am putting this up mainly because I know how people will react to it.” As expected, a lot of people posted comments. Some agreed with Graham’s argument that grown-ups should be embarrassed to read young adult literature, including a high school teacher who claimed she only read YA books to “keep current” with trends; however, most responded as I expected they would—opposed to the argument. And yet others fell comfortably in between, “kind of” agreeing with the author. I did not fall into that category.

As a “defender” of the genre, as Graham puts it, I disagree with her point that “YA books present the teenage perspective in a fundamentally uncritical way.” In the article she says, “It’s not simply that YA readers are asked to immerse themselves in a character’s emotional life […] but that they are asked to abandon the mature insights into that perspective that they (supposedly) have acquired as adults.” As a college teacher, I use YA fiction in the classroom with students who are typically outside of the 12-17-year old target market, and the way my students and I engage in YA lit simply does not adhere to Graham’s theory of “abandoning mature insights.” In fact, it is quite the opposite. We read YA to explore new and layered perspectives and to consider themes of identity, sacrifice, spirituality, and social injustices through a new and/or comparative lens. I’ve used many YA titles in my composition classroom to open up discussions on relevant and current topics, and I am not ashamed nor am I embarrassed. But apparently I should be?

Also, according to Graham, adults should not be reading YA because “the list of truly great books for adults is so long.” I agree about the list being a long one, but the list of truly great YA books is really long too: The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Speak, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian, The Outsiders, Maus, Persepolis, The Giver, The House on Mango Street, The Book Thief, The Catcher in the Rye, The Pigman, The Chocolate War, Looking for Alaska… Some of these titles I missed out on as a teen, so does that mean I shouldn’t read them now because I’m an adult?

What do you think? And, which titles would you add to this list?

Here’s the link to the article if you’re interested: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2014/06/against_ya_adults_should_be_embarrassed_to_read_children_s_books.2.html

One Good Reason to Read…Depressing Books?

What did I do on my summer vacation? I traveled, did some reading, wrote a chapter or two—and I watched a lot of Netflix. In fact, I just finished watching another seven-season series. At 12 episodes per season, that’s roughly 2,500 minutes or 42 hours of my life I will never get back. But I so looked forward to clicking that little play button and seeing what was next for this character or that one. And I loved being able to say, “Just one more show” even at 1 am. I was hooked. But after the series finale, I was left with this giant hole in my gut. The characters I had come to love and despise were no more. With the closing credits of the final episode, I panicked. I needed a quick fix—a new show to fill the void. Come on, you guys know what I mean.

So I went on the hunt for something new—a comedy or something with a little grit—and stumbled across ABC’s Chasing Life. I have to admit that it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for. But I decided to give it a shot for one reason—I loved John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars. If you haven’t read it or watched the movie, it’s about two teens who fall in love. But here’s the catch: both of them have cancer. Sigh. Chasing Life is about a twenty-something who gets her dream job, an amazing new boyfriend, and the-not-so-great news that she has leukemia. Double sigh. So why do we read these books or watch movies about terminally ill cancer patients? Why do we get pulled in to these narratives? Can anyone give me one good reason to watch a show about young people living with and dying of cancer?

Kaitlin Thomas from tv.com gives five reasons to watch Chasing Life including, “It’s realistic, not melodramatic fiction.” Okay, I’ll bite. Maybe audiences watch/read because “it” (aka cancer) happens in real life. Maybe people are relating. So many of us have been touched by the “C” word in one way or another. I know I have. The National Cancer Institute estimates that “approximately 8 million Americans alive today have a history of cancer” and about 1,228,600 people will be diagnosed this year alone. These statistics show a startling reality—a reality that is fueling many of the fictional narratives we’re watching and reading today, e.g. Red Band Society, Chasing Life, Fault, etc. So, what do you think about this trend? A trend, as Thomas writes, that involves “exactly zero vampires, werewolves, witches, or superheroes.” However, with no vampires and lots of talk about cancer, Thomas also states, “It’s hard to sell people on shows [books] that sound super depressing.”

Do you agree? Thoughts? I’d love to hear what you have to say, so drop me a line. And, thanks as always for stopping by!

Sources: http://www.tv.com/news/chasing-life-abc-family-review-140544041158/

http://www.thomlatimercares.org/Cancer_Facts.htm#EverHad