It scares us all a little bit. The fear of going to school and having to deal with comments and looks that may not be the nicest. The fear of doing something embarrassing or saying the wrong thing that may end up online for the world to read in a few minutes. The fear of not being accepted, and shrugged off as just another student. Ironically, high school can be both a place of learning and one of dread at the same time. Bullying has, is, and always will be a problem. But it is now more than ever with the rise of social networking sites.
Twitter and Facebook, for all their good uses, can be abused. They can be a medium for bullying and teasing like no other. The manner in which certain people conduct themselves on these sites is inappropriate and childish, and possibly even illegal.
Every school has its share of cyber bullying mishaps, and MHS is no exception. Most recently, a Twitter account by the name of mhs_dish caused a bit of a ruckus. Specific people in the school were picked, and had meaningless gossip posted about them online.
Although posting online is a right of all citizens, there is a point where it crosses the line. Posting comments about other people, regardless of whether the post is a truth or a lie, is wrong and is an abuse of First Amendment rights. And eventually, it can turn into a legal issue.
When they think of the word “publish,” many people think of newspapers or magazines. However, Merriam-Webster defines “publish” as “to produce or release for distribution.” Nowhere in this definition is it emphasized that to publish means to print on paper. Little do internet-users know that anything written and posted online is published. This is a big deal, for there exists a little term by the name of libel.
Libel is defined as “a statement or representation published without just cause and tending to expose another to public contempt,” and is punishable by law. Publishing statements online or in print that are not true is illegal, and many students do not realize that what they say can have these repercussions.
Internet users need to watch carefully what they post. Not to mention some of the things that are said, regardless of their element of truth, are nobody’s business and should not be online unless the subject wants it to be. Students must learn to use their First Amendment rights wisely and use social networking sites with caution.
