Cyber Bullying

“Flashback Quarterback” in this issue of E-News talks about cyber bullying, that is, using the Internet to harass somebody else.

A couple of things mentioned in past issues come to mind when I consider cyber bullying:

(1) we choose not to, perhaps cannot, take into consideration the consequences of our technological advances;  for example, who would have thought that cyber bullying would have been a consequence of the Internet?  Or identity theft?  The “LOCO” and “Social-Impact Report” essays have talked about our inability or unwillingness to consider all the consequences;

(2) our extreme legalism in this country means that we cannot prosecute a criminal unless the crime is specifically mentioned in the law, so an adult who bullies a teenager via the Internet until the latter commits suicide might not be prosecuted for a crime;  ditto a tagger who uses a new implement to damage property, a motorist who causes an accident because he or she is texting, a drug dealer who vends a new concoction.

If you answer the multiple-choice questions below and e-mail to lessonanswers@mymontebello.com with “Lesson answers” in the subject field, you will be credited toward a “certificate of recognition in community affairs” to be awarded in 2008 by a local nonprofit organization.

1. What does cyber bullying tell us, other than that there are immature people and vulnerable people?

(a) We do not consider all the possible consequences of the technology which we introduce.

(b) We cannot quickly address those consequences through the law because the law is too inflexible.

2. How can we deal with new problems without a slow, exhausting legislative process, during which time injury and death might occur?

(a) Have more local decision-making, so that a community be able to quickly protect itself.

(b) Add a “common sense” element to the law so that the law not have to play catch-up with every invention, be that technology, a drug or something else.

November 13, 2008