Everyday on Social Media News I see stories that shock me. Cyber Bullying is rife around the world and we are seeing its impact more and more. The latest Cyber Bullying Suicide story from Australia is heartbreaking and I cannot understand why there is nothing being done by all of the world's Social Media companies to properly address the issue.
A world of Artificial Intelligence is being displayed at CES (Consumer Electronic Show) - Yet NONE OF IT has remotely touched on needs of the human race such as tackling Social Media misuse, plastic pollution, electronic waste and the other things that should be front and center at the world's premier consumer technology extravaganza.
Just before the show there were BIG investors in Apple asking for the company to address the addiction of the iPhone yet typically the tech giant's response was rather bland...i.e. "there are mechanisms in the phone to help with that." Apple just didn't get it! They were being asked to go one step further and address this head on as a 'Corporate Responsibility' issue, just like they were obliged to address 'Carbon Footprint' & 'Forced Child Labor' once upon a time. It was not a request for more technology for parents to use!
There needs to be a greater understanding of the Cyber Bullying issue and not some Corporate PR guru that thinks they need to apply a bandaid for 'shareprice protection against drop.' The big corporations that have the power to divert their millions of dollars into campaigns that educate and protect and help with issues that they are catalysts to.
People like me with young children are tearing our hair out as we try to allow our children the freedom that comes with the tech-driven world, while being forever worried about what it is that is happening on these nonsensically named 'Smart Devices.' There is nothing Smart about bullying but electronic media has made it all so much easier and the tech giants just do not seem to care - Just like cigarette manufacturers didn't care until they were called out by government - There will always be horrible people on this planet and we eventually get to grips with them but for some families like that of Amy Everett it is ALL TOO LATE!
Not everyone is strong enough to stand up to the harassment. Even as adults the workplace sees its fair share of bullying...Electronics communication just made it easier for the horrible human beings to mistreat people from behind their screens.
My heart goes out to anyone who is suffering any form of bullying ... and to the bullies all I can say is 'be careful, because revenge is a meal best served cold.'