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Are Kids Today Meaner Than Ever Before?
Filed under: Bullying
The internet could be a factor in today's kids being meaner than in years past. Credit: Getty Images
The idea that kids today are meaner than ever before was floated by Malcom Smith of the University of New Hampshire's Cooperative Extension Service, according to the Boston Globe.
Certainly they grow up faster. Yes, every generation of parents says that, but there are things that this generation has that others did not, such as access to the Internet. A lot of meanness happens online in the form of cyberbullying. Since cyberbullying didn't even exist until relatively recently, one could argue that this shows that there is more meanness among today's children than there used to be, simply because there are more opportunities for them to be mean.
But the proof is in the pudding -- or in this case, the parents. What do you think? Are kids today meaner than ever?
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
2-04-2011 @ 5:14PM
sayso said...I guess I just don't understand it. Everyone at some time is going to get picked on or bullied. When I was in school ( I am only 25) if someone picked on us we just delt with it. If someone was picking on me, I was taught to just smile and walk away. My parents said that they only pick on people b/c they they felt bad about themselves.
My dad told me that if they wouldn't let up that I was to never start a fight but I sure as heck should finish it. I am not saying violence is the answer but there are times when you have to protect yourself. But, we didn't have people attacking us online, so when we got home it was a safe haven. Also, I think the media has a lot to do with it. When you have tv shows and blogs dedicated to making fun of or being catty to people it just isn't right.
Yes, it can go too far. However, we need to teach kids that they need to be the mature one and sometimes live doesn't go the way we want it to. People are always going to make fun of others.
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2-05-2011 @ 8:45AM
sandy said...If you want your kids to be more sensitive- Have them grow the TickleMe Plant that moves when you tickle it. they will never see plants in a non living way again!
Search TickleMe Plant to grow it indoors.
Reply
2-05-2011 @ 10:57PM
SirGalton said...Are kids meaner? No, not at all. There are just more avenues for children to get into trouble. Online bullying started in the 90's, but it wasn't until social networking sites began to connect everyone that it became a serious topic. What is the real problem today? The parents, plain and simple. Teens complain that they are no longer safe in their home and that they can be bullied in their own rooms. Here's an idea, Parent's should be more aware of their children's internet usage. Having a computer in their bedroom can lead to these problems. Limit their time on Facebook and other sites. There are many parents of preteens who are not even aware that you must be 13 to have an account.
Also, teens need to realize that Facebook is not a necessity and if it creates problems for them, they need to avoid it. I have seen a share of parents who are overwhelmed with Facebook themselves and create drama, sometimes threatening neighborhood parents or other kids. The parents need to lead by example.
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2-07-2011 @ 7:33AM
K said...Honestly, I think to use the term "cyberbullying" is really disingenuous. It gives the impression that bullying is happening solely online, by people you interact with on the internet and nowhere else. All of these instances of so-called "cyberbullying" are simply an extension of something happening in REAL LIFE. Kids (and, to be fair, quite a few adults) pick on one another and fight in real life and it spills over into their online activities only because that is the primary modern form of communication. Whereas as kids used to scream obscenties from bus windows as they passed by another kid walking home or something, now they spam his facebook ball. It's not a new trend that demonstrates more meanness, it's an simply the evolution of an age-old phenomenon to adapt with modern modes of communication. The only thing I DO think the overblown fuss and flutter over "cyberbullying" is showing us is that perhaps the way we're trying to teach kids to deal with bullying or issues with other kids isn't working out so well.
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3-11-2011 @ 7:19PM
isisreptiles said...I believe that not only are kids more vicious now than in the past, but they have many more ways and means to be vicious now than years before--ways that make their bullying a lot more far-reaching.
I was bullied horribly all through middle and high school in the 60s, but at least I was safe once I was home. That isn't the case anymore. Thanks to texting, social networking sites and the like, the bullies can continue to torment their victims in their own homes. The victims aren't safe anywhere.
To the poster with the attitude that 'everyone gets bullied, deal with it"--that's all well and good if the bullying is an isolated incident. But for many victims of bullying, the torment is a daily occurrance and may go on for years. Nobody can deal with that and they shouldn't have to.
I'm not sure what the answer is but the attitude that bullying is "part of growing up", blaming the victim, or ignoring the problem must stop. The powers that be need to realize that the repercussions of bullying can last a lifetime--the emotional scars will never go away. The victim of bullying loses all confidence and self-esteem, and once destroyed, those things are not easy to rebuild.
Kick the POS bullies out of the school. If they can't behave, they have no right to be there creating a hostile enviornment for their victims. The bullies should be facing legal action and their parents should be held accountable for what their POS kids are doing. The way it is now, bullies face no consequences and they know it, so they continue doing what they are doing.
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