A couple of weeks ago, Amanda Palmer, the musician who became famous as one-half of the Dresden Dolls, logged on to her computer and did something we all do but are loath to admit: She typed her name into the search engine. She calls it ego surfing.
The first listing was a link to a blog item that bitterly criticized her. The critic called her a fake communist. Whatever that is. Intrigued, Palmer then typed in “Hate A...” but before she could type Amanda Palmer the auto-fill completed the name: Amanda Todd.
Comments
Brava, Amanda! You, too, Kev...
Good stuff! Really good stuff.
Thanks for writing about this important issue. My school district is engaging in the Olweus anti-bullying curriculum and I believe it will make a difference in the school, but social media is another matter. As Ms. Palmer states, it's both the problem and the cure. Conversations and connections, as well as calling people on hostile, bullying online behavior will have an effect. Parents should check their own levels of sarcasm and nasty remarks about celebrities or sports figures, as well as how they talk about other people. We can all make a difference, online and in real life.