Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Rape and Social Media

It's much easier to rapidly share and spread information with social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. The rapid advancement of social media has improved all our lives, but for all the good it has done, there is a darker side to social media - a side that has been used to do a great deal of damage and bullying.

Selena Ross of The Chronicle Herald, reported the story of Rehtaeh Parsons - a 17 year old girl on life support due to a failed suicide attempt. Parsons attempted to hang herself in the bathroom of her parents house, as a result of post-traumatic stress from being raped and bullied when she was 15 years old. After removing her from life support, her mother shared her daughter's story.

Along with her several others, 15 year old Rehtaeh went to a friends house where she was later raped by four teenage boys. Rehtaeh didn't immediately report the incident to her parents or the police until backlash from her peers ensued. Pictures of her being sexually assaulted that evening quickly circulated and soon people were harassing her for being a "slut". The investigation is still ongoing. Despite the damage it caused the Parson family, Ross also demonstrates how social media can bring people together for a cause. Ross posts videos, photos, and tweets of people sharing their disgust for society's victim-shaming in cases like these and as well as advocating for victims.

I found it compelling that Rehtaeh's mother used social media to share her daughter's tragic story. Ironic, yes, but it demonstrates how social media can effectively be used for good. It's very easy for anyone to create a profile and start spreading slander, it has made bullying that much easier and anonymous. It's important that we don't turn social media into a weapon of mass destruction.

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