The Wicked World of Cyberbullying

Posted on by Not so Tech-savvy

Cyber bullying has become the root of many violent crimes in Society today. Our news feeds are flooded with stories all around the World, regarding crimes that have been initiated and then carried out through social media. With the arrival of technology, bullying and the more punishable crimes are no longer limited to just schoolyards or street corners, cyberbullying can occur anywhere. We are constantly notified by our digital devices, to when our social media feeds are updating, as they remain refreshed throughout the day, so there is often no escape of cyber-attacks.

I conducted an interview with a local resident from Cape Town, asking him to speak openly about his experiences of being bullied and targeted as a child. In his interview he also speaks to how forms of bullying have changed and perhaps become more severe for today’s youth, as everything happens through social media. The victim doesn’t necessarily have to leave their homes to be bullied, which is a daunting thought.

Interview available at:  https://soundcloud.com/alex-shellar/interview-of-being-bullied

“Back In the day kids would get bullied and picked on at schools, and then that was that, you went home and tried to get on with things. These day’s kids are being bullied without having to leave their homes. It’s sad to see how mean kids can be.”

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Figure 2: Girl distressed over the image of her picture  manipulated on her phone. Photo taken by site owner.

 In light of a recent incident that has taken social media by storm, regarding Matthew Theunissen a local resident in Cape Town, as the World witnesses him racially rant about the South African government, following Sports and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula’s response to “ban” three sporting codes from hosting international tournaments. Matthew Theunissen took to Facebook and in spite of Mbalula’s decision he wrote, “So no more sporting events for south Africa, I’ve never been more proud than to say our government are a bunch of K***** yes I said it so go F*** yourselves you black F****** C****!” (Stars inserted for public discretion) For the full story visit: https://www.enca.com/south-africa/social-media-weighs-in-after-rhodesmustfall-leader-no-land-no-tip

Within in minutes, Theunissen’s post had gone viral. Social media platforms like Twitter saw #MatthewTheunissen trending, provoking more violent responses from its users, some of the tweets read:

“Mob Justice…One example will do #MatthewTheunissen”

“#MatthewTheunissen I suggest we necklace him” 

“Let’s hunt the rat, his FB account is deactivated but we got his CV and address idiot #MatthewTheunissen”

In no effort to waste time, a few individuals had gotten hold of his LinkedIn Profile, which revealed a lot of his personal information, such as his personal address and contact details. This became problematic when some of the responses made to Theunissen, were ones that involved the initiation of those upset about the post going to his home and “necklacing” him through an act of “mob-justice”. The media had attempted to call Theunissen to get insight into the situation he currently found himself, and during their brief phone call Theunissen was surprised when informed about the responses his post got on Twitter, as he did not even have a Twitter account.  For the Full interview following Theunissen’s first phone call visit: http://www.capetalk.co.za/index.php/articles/13265/i-am-not-a-racist-and-i-will-regret-it-for-the-rest-of-my-life-matt-theunissen

A similar incident happened a few days prior to Theunissen’s Facebook outburst, where Ntokozo Qwabe’s, lead activist of the “Roads Must Fall” campaign took to Social media and posted a picture captioned “Worry not. The tip was paid.” It was later discovered by the Waitress Ashleigh Sculchz, who had serviced their table, that upon opening their bill they had left a note on the recipient saying “WE WILL GIVE TIP WHEN YOU RETURN THE LAND.” Qwabe later took to Facebook bragging about the incident, inciting similar responses from the RMF campaign activists. For the full story visit https://www.enca.com/south-africa/social-media-weighs-in-after-rhodesmustfall-leader-no-land-no-tip

This brings us back to the point that if social media is used rather as a means to bully and intimidate individuals, then it would do just so, which would effectively distance the victims, making them more vulnerable to the clutches of social media and so the vicious cycle continues.

Article by Alex Shellar (site owner)

 

 

 

Thinking about a Digital Escape…

Posted on by Not so Tech-savvy

 

 Whether you are the CEO of a multinational company or simply just an overworked and underpaid employee of a various enterprise. One thing will always remain the same, no matter what your job title reads, everyone in one way or another, cannot wait for that moment during their day to just sit down, breathe and proceed to check their social media feeds.

Escape. This is what we tend to do from time to time, in an effort to take our minds of the day-to-day grind we find ourselves suffocating under. Whether it’s trying to catch up on our favourite series of the month or just simply sitting back and obsessing over celebrities and bloggers boast about what car they arrived in for their morning appointments. Escape for the most part, can be relaxing to some if it’s done in the right amount of doses, and more importantly with the right kind of tools.
Have you ever find yourself fixating over events that might occur, if we take our attention away from them for brief moments? Waiting around for that one message or post that will make our world alright again? These would be some of the signs that make for the unhealthy levels of escape. The kind that leave you spending more time thinking about the people you are not with, than the people right in front of you.

It ultimately becomes a dependency. A reactive state that ultimately leaves us dissatisfied. We begin to Fear that while offline, we might lose out on that subtle something we are so certain that we are missing out on. Not fully comprehending that such absence of mind only expands that dark hole we are so desperately trying to fill. We need to realize that no amount of phone calls or text messages, will keep us in an active state of awareness and that the only thing that could eventually release us from our digital addictions, is by just being present.

Digital escape

Photograph by Alex Shellar (site owner) 2016

If you feel that this article relates to your digital habits in any way, then try your hand at this. Start by switching off all your devices for at least an hour during the day, at whatever time works best for you, this will effectively make it easier for you to practice being present.
Once you have settled into this new state of being, find a comfortable and quiet spot to sit down and close your eyes. This will allow you to take the time to listen to your heart beat come down to a resting state, as you gently relearn how to inhale and exhale again. When you feel you have done this enough times, open your eyes and begin to look around you, just embracing your surroundings. Begin to familiarize yourself with the things you see and maybe call out whatever it is you see. This should help to place your awareness back in present time, ultimately forcing you to exist in the only space you are meant to be in, the present.
I have asked someone who lives largely in a world where her job and social life, for the most part, depends on messages coming back and forth either confirming business opportunities or scheduling coffee dates over FaceTime, to try out this exercise and come back with her thoughts on it.

1. How dependent are you on your phone and laptop during the day?
“Very, constantly have to check my mails, my communication with clients and printers is constant. My phone is the same, constantly having to stay in touch.”
2. Could you estimate how long you spend on your devices during the day?
“I would say at least 8 hours out of my working day is spent online. The time spent after hours involves me still staying online in some way, but not as intense as it is at work. Staying connected is a key component in my job.”
3. What was your initial thought when asked to give up your devices for an hour during the day?
“Quite anxious, especially since I was on a deadline. Not impossible but very difficult.
4. How did you feel during the exercise?
“Relaxed and calm to a certain extent. I tried my hand at enjoying the moment which was seemingly pleasant.”
5. After completing the exercise did you feel that you could go without your devices longer than that, and if your answer is no, do you think that you have a digital addiction?
“I’m not sure, it is very difficult to say because my job requires me being connected and online all the time, so I wouldn’t go as far as saying that I am addicted. When I do have free time, I don’t find myself spending most of it on my social feeds but it’s difficult to say.”

“It can be exhausting to be somewhere you are not, living into a future that may or may not come.”

By Alex Shellar
15 April 2016
Undergrad Media and Writing student at the University of Cape Town, UCT.

A Digital Detox

Posted on by Not so Tech-savvy

Our mission is to inspire, educate and empower our collective generation to create more mindful, meaningful, and balanced lives, both online and off.

We give people the permission to pause, reflect and reconnect with what’s most important to them.
We exist to help people take big deep breaths, question their tech-use, develop mindful habits and remember to look up.

We are a movement dedicated to creating a world that we believe will make our grandkids proud.

We think deep, work smart and play harder.

For more information on this, follow the link below

http://digitaldetox.org/

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Camp Grounded 2014 Images

Digital Addiction

Posted on by Not so Tech-savvy

A New Phenomenon on Our Latest Drug of Choice

 

As much as technology in all its forms has made the lives of many people more efficient and accessible, it is also important to acknowledge that the successor of digital technology growing at such a rapid pace was and is only attainable through various compromises. The kind that has left millions of people around the World vulnerable to the clutches of the “cyber-sphere”.

Brad Huddleston, an evangelist and technological expert from South Africa is calling it “Digital Cocaine” which predominantly explores the notion of social and mental capabilities been compromised in the name of ‘social networking’, just as any form of substance abuse would have on an individual in the long run.

Huddleston states that “we are enveloped in a ‘digital tsunami’ which is leaving many people tired, depressed and anxious.” So the question therein lies is, if social networking and digital technology as a whole was made for the sole purposes of making the lives of individuals easier, by bridging the gaps between various public and private spaces. Why is it then that the effects and consequences of social media as a popular medium of digital technology, is responsible for some of the highest crime related rates as well as a spiking increase in health detriments?

Huddleston’s research follows a 15 year old South Korean boy named, Kim Min-Woo, whom was recently diagnosed with an early onset of dementia, and with much debate and concern around this uncommon diagnosis. Kim’s case was unusual in that, dementia is a disorder usually associated with ageing and more specifically with persons aged 60 and older. Naturally questions around how this disorder came about for someone so young was expected. Huddleston’s discovery on why Kim was finding it hard to remember certain things was shockingly brought on by intense digital exposure to digital technology. It was discovered that since the early ages of five Kim was constantly in front of a TV or computer screen indulging in some form of online gaming programme, for long periods throughout the day.

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Kim Dae-jin, psychiatrist at St Mary’s Hospital in Seoul explained that, “Kim’s brain’s ability to transfer information to long-term memory has been impaired because of his heavy exposure to digital gadgets.” A worrying concern of what the over-exposure of digital technology can bring about.

Research obtained in a 2002 Shanghai study, on neuroimaging, looked at the effects that internet addiction had on the brain and proved that as far as your brains concerned there is no difference between one hour of gaming and doing half a line of cocaine. Both forms of these “drugs” effect the brains frontal lobe, which is the part of the brain that experiences comprehensive changes from the individual’s transition into adulthood and to which largely determines the success and well-being in one’s life. Everything from an individual’s career performance, well-being and relationship skills gets determined by how well this part of the brain is looked after.

While there is no doubt that digital technology has made the lives of many individuals so much simpler and has also become a brilliant platform for bridging different social communities together, there are clear dangers and consequences if it is not practiced in moderation.