Like most things, social media has the potential for great benefit as well as dreadful consequences.
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It was devastating to hear last week of the suicide of a young Northern Territorian, who took her life after suffering serous bullying on social media.
We all heard of her story because she was well-known. But how many cases pass unnoticed by the media?
The family has started an anti-bullying campaign. The Prime Minister evidently wept as he spoke about the story.
School principals, teachers, parents and psychologists are calling for a ban of social media usage for children under 12 years old, due to the inability of young minds to cope with the appalling behaviour they can become victim to on Facebook, Twitter and so on.
You can report cyberbullying and get resources from federal website esafety.gov.au.
Recent research shows teens who spend five or more hours daily on electronic devices are over 70 per cent more likely to have a risk factor for suicide, and more than two hours daily brings on issues such as less sleep and a higher risk of depression and unhappiness by stimulating the same brain chemicals and regions as other addictive products.
As an adult, I’m supposedly able to cope with other people’s bad behaviour. But I still find it depressing, even frightening, to see people approaching social media with hate in their hearts, looking for any reason for anger, complaint and bile.
Social media is not the only problem. There’s an epidemic of bullying we seem to be experiencing generally – in our schools and in politics.
It’s said that bullies don’t know what they’re doing and the destructive effect they have. A call has gone out to Malcolm Turnbull to ensure children in all primary years get social emotional training – which certainly wouldn’t hurt.
There’s an epidemic of hatred and division, which needs calling out by true leaders in homes, schools and politics everywhere.
This column is the opinion of Cr Lisa Intemann and not necessarily that of Council.