Today we are going to present a talk dealing with cyberbullying given at a TEDx conference in 2016. The TED Talk is a testimony by Tina Meier, founder and executive director of the Megan Meier Foundation. Tina named her foundation after her daughter, who committed suicide at the age of 13 after being bullied online. Her talk underlines several key points designed to address the issue of cyberbullying and improve awareness of it. First, hearing a mother’s perspective truly highlights how this issue is not properly dealt with, namely because adults might not know how to act. According to Tina, one effective way to handle the problem would be to just really listen to kids, to validate how they feel and what they are going through, and offer them a space where they feel understood and safe to open up to trusting adults.
Bullying related-issues are a major concern nowadays. Unfortunately, bullying can stay unnoticed if teachers, educators and parents do not break the taboo around it. It only seems to create a lively debate once a death has occurred. It starts so gradually and sneakily that you barely notice it, but once its damaging effects settle in your mind, the slightest thing can trigger a tragic outcome, as it did for Megan. We liked the fact that Tina’s testimony emphasizes the idea of the power of words and how they may seem inconsequential, but for the person to whom these words are directed, it can be the final straw, as we never know what is going on in someone else’s life. In addition, we found this talk very relevant in our digital age as teenagers these days constantly have access to social media, but bullying does not stop once you have crossed the school gates – it also encompasses cyberbullying. Indeed, this testimony stresses the impact of harassment and cyberbullying on people’s well-being, especially youths who have a particular need to fit in and be accepted by their peers.
We found Tina’s testimony heart-wrenching and interesting as we could identify with her. However, it would have been useful to learn more about the purpose and work of her foundation. Furthermore, the findings and data she laid out do not have any scientific basis and her references are not specified. Moreover, her personal and emotional involvement might put her in a less neutral position.
One child out of ten is being harassed in France (Unicef, 2011). What can we do, as psychologists, about this alarming reality ? Our main mission is to raise awareness around this phenomenon and to make sure parents are careful about how their children use social media. Moreover, psychologists can educate parents, teachers, and educators, on the importance of truly listening to young people and openly discussing this touchy subject. Finally, it is crucial to spread awareness among kids so that they are conscious of the effects of their actions and words. They can either be the oppressive or passive ones. But of course the best choice would be to offer a helping hand and stand up for someone.
Words we have learned :
- To emphasize : souligner
- The final straw : la goutte d’eau qui fait déborder le vase.
- To encompass : englober
- To stress : souligner
- Harassment : intimidation
Nisma Boussaïdi, Florence Bray, Maéva Dasse-Hartaut