Saturday, February 26, 2005
Speaking Of Mean Jokes
This NYTimes piece is about a kid that pretty much made a fool of himself on the internet and is now have a hard time with the embarrassing notoriety. I had seen the video clip in question. The high school kids in our Bible Study showed it to us.
Kids make fun of other kids, fact of life. I made fun and was made fun of. But when I was a kid it was about getting a reaction. You did it in person to "get a rise." Or, alternately, you made a fool of yourself to get attention. But this anonymous stuff over the internet somehow just strikes me as mean. I am betting the kid did it to get attention, but because of the anonymity, all he has gotten is scorn, not very good attention.
I do not think the lack of connection with other people bodes well. How do we get kids to connect with each other, and not just with an image or idea of another?
Kids make fun of other kids, fact of life. I made fun and was made fun of. But when I was a kid it was about getting a reaction. You did it in person to "get a rise." Or, alternately, you made a fool of yourself to get attention. But this anonymous stuff over the internet somehow just strikes me as mean. I am betting the kid did it to get attention, but because of the anonymity, all he has gotten is scorn, not very good attention.
I do not think the lack of connection with other people bodes well. How do we get kids to connect with each other, and not just with an image or idea of another?
