Cyberbullying & Youth Suicide
When Technology Collides with Youth
Todays Children Never Knew A World Without Cell Phones
Kids were already here when cell phones arrived. That is perhaps one of the most missed aspects of today's issues surrounding overuse of texting and cyberbullying.
Children have always been extremely social, extremely anxious and self conscious, extremely concerned about their appearances, fitting in and feeling wanted.
None of the issues surrounding today's youth were not ready to happen already and much of the tendancies which have created problems with technologies, are normal parts of youth and growing up.
Children were always bullied. But bulllying meant name calling, school yard fights, black eyes, hurt feelings, parents getting involved and lessons being learned. Part of growing up often involved clashing with other kids and coming to grips with where we stood in the pecking order.
When those same kids, with the same feelings, emotions and social pressures encounter new technologies which allow them to connect, communicate, be a part of the group and exert their influence on a group, we cannot be surprised that they will find ways to use the technology which are harmful.
The Joseph Project provides an in depth study of youth psychology, sociology and modern cyberbullying to broaden our understanding of what is happening. Technology is coming in fast, and we all (adults included) want it so much that we aren't taking the time to undertand how our kids will use it. Over time, we will learn how to use technology in a safe way, but during the current accelerated invention and adoptation of new gadgets, we are going to see a generation of kids who have been affected by these unbridled inventions in ways that will affect them.
And in the most serious of cases, some children have been driven to suicide or hurting each other because of misuse of techology by others.
The Joseph Project explores these ideas and proposes a foundation of cyberbullying curricula based on re-establishing boundaries in our society, thus using techology more safely.
Children have always been extremely social, extremely anxious and self conscious, extremely concerned about their appearances, fitting in and feeling wanted.
None of the issues surrounding today's youth were not ready to happen already and much of the tendancies which have created problems with technologies, are normal parts of youth and growing up.
Children were always bullied. But bulllying meant name calling, school yard fights, black eyes, hurt feelings, parents getting involved and lessons being learned. Part of growing up often involved clashing with other kids and coming to grips with where we stood in the pecking order.
When those same kids, with the same feelings, emotions and social pressures encounter new technologies which allow them to connect, communicate, be a part of the group and exert their influence on a group, we cannot be surprised that they will find ways to use the technology which are harmful.
The Joseph Project provides an in depth study of youth psychology, sociology and modern cyberbullying to broaden our understanding of what is happening. Technology is coming in fast, and we all (adults included) want it so much that we aren't taking the time to undertand how our kids will use it. Over time, we will learn how to use technology in a safe way, but during the current accelerated invention and adoptation of new gadgets, we are going to see a generation of kids who have been affected by these unbridled inventions in ways that will affect them.
And in the most serious of cases, some children have been driven to suicide or hurting each other because of misuse of techology by others.
The Joseph Project explores these ideas and proposes a foundation of cyberbullying curricula based on re-establishing boundaries in our society, thus using techology more safely.
