www.whyville.net Feb 20, 2005 Weekly Issue



Avitron2
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Cyber Bullying

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Whyville: To some people, it's a place to meet new people, chat online with friends, or just enjoy a cool virtual reality. Whyville is supposed to be all this, but to some people, it's just a world of bullies. These bullies don't even have to know the people they mock, but if they look different or don't make as many clams, they're not good enough to talk to.

Have you ever gone into a chat room and then had someone say, "Eww, Newb!" It doesn't feel so great, does it? But then you go into another room and make fun of someone else, trying to get back at the person who made fun of you.

When I first joined Whyville, I don't remember ever being called a "Newb," but now when I go places, it's always "Shun the Newb!" or "Eww, Newb, get off me!" But once all those "Newbs" get more clams and no longer are "Newbs," they're just going to turn around and make fun of the new "Newbs." It becomes an endless cycle of antagonizing and ignoring.

This is only one of the types of bullying you see on Whyville. There's also bullying on what type of person you are. Look, you should know by now that what someone looks like in Whyville doesn't always mean they really like that in real life. And why should it matter? The same people you're calling losers on Whyville are the same people you could be best friends with in real life.

I'm sure you've heard many times "Oh, look at the loser Goth chick," or "Stupid preps" and sometimes "Those lame Skaters." It's not necessary to make fun of someone because they don't look like you. You don't have to talk to them, but seriously, they have feelings too, and they could be a completely different person in real life.

Whoever they are, they don't deserve to be treated like that, and you don't deserve to be the kind of person who treats others that way.

Avitron2

 

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