With blogs and internet publishing tools available to everyone, more and more people are posting their stories and opinions for the world to see. Blogs and social media can be a great resource for connecting and sharing, but in the recent case of 15-year-old Alexis Xanders, they can also help bring justice.
This article and video popped up on my CNN.com home page yesterday:
This poor girl’s assailants apparently thought it would be funny to videotape themselves beating her up—maybe to show everyone in their social networking communities how “tough” they are--- and post it online. Through the use of MySpace, Xanders herself gained access to the video and posted it on CNN.com’s iReport—a tool for readers to post their own news. Many people are concerned with the danger of so much information being accessible on social networking sites like MySpace—however, this is an example of a situation in which public accessibility to a user’s videos actually helped this bullying victim get help. The use of iReport also highlights another advantage of the digital age as far as news and media reporting goes: anyone can do it, even a 15-year-old. Through the use and sheer availability of sharing resources online, Xanders was able to share her story with the world and ultimately land her assailants in court. While we can’t hope that everyone instance of bullying and harassment will be so conveniently video taped and posted online, this case is a real testament to the potential of social media as a tool for illuminating crime and helping prevent future incidents.
-Miranda
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment