Steve
Mostly Harmless
I'm curious. My kids were playing a game online, and I was appalled. I don't believe in sheltering my kids, but they were playing on a server that was really vile. Regular use of profanity, derogatory comments and ganging up, in game.
My kids were completely unaffected by it. They didn't think it was any big deal. While they didn't engage in any of the back and forth, they didn't take offense, either. After all, they said, it's not like they know me in real life.
Now, on the one hand, I thought that this was good for my kids. They're grounded and stable enough to keep things in perspective. At the same time, I was concerned that they see a huge disconnect between online behavior and real life behavior. It's okay, in other words, to say things online to someone you don't know that you would never say in real life. We had a good chat about that one. Suffice to say, I disagree.
Which is the point of the thread. Do you see bullies online as being different than in real life? Do you see a concerning disparity between how kids view "real life" interaction vs their online communication?
On forums like this one, do you believe we have bullies? What are some of the characteristics of an online bully? What do you do about it, if anything? Is how you react online functionally different than in real life (other than the obvious differences)?
My kids were completely unaffected by it. They didn't think it was any big deal. While they didn't engage in any of the back and forth, they didn't take offense, either. After all, they said, it's not like they know me in real life.
Now, on the one hand, I thought that this was good for my kids. They're grounded and stable enough to keep things in perspective. At the same time, I was concerned that they see a huge disconnect between online behavior and real life behavior. It's okay, in other words, to say things online to someone you don't know that you would never say in real life. We had a good chat about that one. Suffice to say, I disagree.
Which is the point of the thread. Do you see bullies online as being different than in real life? Do you see a concerning disparity between how kids view "real life" interaction vs their online communication?
On forums like this one, do you believe we have bullies? What are some of the characteristics of an online bully? What do you do about it, if anything? Is how you react online functionally different than in real life (other than the obvious differences)?