Five days ago, a small town in Missouri passed legislation outlawing online harassment in response to the story of one teen who committed suicide after insulting MySpace bulletins were posted about her.
According to the Suburban Journals story, 13-year-old Megan Meier had struck up a friendship on MySpace with a 16-year-old boy who at first was a good friend to her, then suddenly ended the friendship a year ago, saying he had heard she was mean to her friends.
In truth, the boy's profile was fabricated by a small group of people, including the mother of one of Megan's former friends in a neighboring household. More than one person had the password to the fake profile.
After reading the online insults, Megan hanged herself in her closet. She died the next day.
Megan's mother Tina said she believes her daughter died thinking the boy and his opinions of her were real.
According to an AP story, the unanimous resolution adopted by Dardenne Prairie city officials makes it punishable by a fine of $500 and up to 90 days in jail to cause someone "substantial emotional distress" online, or for an adult to contact a minor in such a way as to cause a reasonable parent to fear for the child's well-being.
The law comes too late to allow Tina to press charges against those involved in creating the fake MySpace account. Police so far have neither closed the case nor made any charges. And although Tina monitored her daughter's use of MySpace very closely, she had no way to offer protection against the hurtful words slung at her daughter.
According to a column by Suburban Journals writer Steve Pokin, who initially broke this story, there has been an outpouring of support for the Meier family both online and in their hometown.
And, according to a report by USA Today, the blogosphere has reacted by humiliating the family of the mother who participated in this fabrication. Piecing together clues from the original story, bloggers posted the mother's identity, address, phone numbers, workplace, and a satellite image of her house on rottenneighbor.com and other Web sites.
Neighbors have put up signs decrying the actions. The family's advertising business is being boycotted. People have held protests in front of the house and have made fake 911 calls that bring the police inside the house, according to this LA Times report.
Megan's parents have (perhaps understandably, but still illegally) also done physical damage to the property of their neighbors.
This example of internet shaming is better than a mob lynching, but only just.
Cyberbullying and lying about one's identity may not be illegal, but we can likely agree that some part of this exchange was immoral, and therefore should have been illegal. Taking steps to pass legislation, as the city did in this case, would be one step in solving that problem. It creates one more functional network between the ideal of morality and the structure of legality.
It's doubtful the new misdemeanor the city created can really provide the correct legal framework for addressing the larger moral issue--but it is one positive legal step that a healing community needs to take. For the most part, it's a healthy reaction.
The same cannot be said for internet shaming.
Confronting someone based on information about their actions that may or may not be true has a valid place. But maliciousness is maliciousness, no matter how strongly people feel that the cruelty is deserved.
Consider how this may have started. Two girlfriends ended their friendship. It seems there were some bitter feelings. No matter who was right or who was wrong in that break-up, someone decided that emotional cruelty was a deserved punishment, and used the fake profile to that end.
Now, internet vigilantes have made that same decision. And their cruelty isn't solving the problem... it's continuing the cycle.
Tell your congressman to push for legislation that brings justice to those who harm others maliciously online. Do something real for Megan Meier. Don't participate in the same cruelty used by the perpetrators. Learn from mistakes--and build a bridge between legality and morality.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
This case is a very troubling one - I have read more column inches about it than I wanted to.
But the writer brings up an interesting point about the cyber bullies who took out after the mother who threw the first electronic rock.
Is what they have done any better?
Good issues raised in this column.
I think the issue that needs further discussion is if the framework of laws (including enforcement, courts, etc...) can possibly work in the environment that measures itself in nanoseconds.
Post a Comment