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There are more teen suicides than are written about, but every so often, one goes national. Like Tyler Clementi in 2010, and Daniel Fitzpatrick in 2016. Now, there is Channing Smith, of Tennessee, in 2019.
I do not know exactly how Channing died, bur from accounts read I am guessing he hanged himself at home. He was 16-years-old and died on September 23.
The reason, again, was he was outed on social media. He had texted some explicit messages--not pics--to a boy he was interested in. Two other teens, one a girl, got hold of the texts, and sent them out. A sure recipe for social destruction.
Not to bring further pain to Channing's family, but this is a good point to remind young folks out there not to post everything about yourselves. I know it is easy to feel trust, but the social media thing can fall into other hands, and when it does, things like this happen.
Channing would been better to talk to the boy, directly. I know that is a hard one, but what ever the outcome, it might well have prevented suicide.
Look out for yourselves, too, kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is interesting to me how, in so many of these cases, girls are the instigators. Tina Fey is right. Girls are MEAN. If this one, or even Molly Wei, had just said "this isn't right, " to their male classmates, it might not have changed things, but at least they might have been able to live with themselves, for having done something. Or tried to.
Look what they have to live with, now.
A message to all bullies--go somewhere else! If you think you are bullying because you are afraid your victim will put the make on you, well, let me assure you, from personal experience, that young gays are not interested in folks who bully them. They consider them as ugly and as much of losers as you do them, so who are you to think they would want to be seen with you, you know????????????????
Get over, yourselves. Because, as you age, you will become so ugly, people will now be turning on you! And you will deserve it!
Like the DA in Manchester, Channing's area, who is against gay marriage, so he will not go forward with pressing charges against Smith's persecutors. But I think LGBQT groups are going to step in here.
Again, to the bullies--take a look at the DA. This is how ugly all of you so-called "cool kids" are going to look in thirty years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just wait!
Meanwhile, I await justice for Channing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As well as all the others who don't get coverage.
Let these young people live their lives, and find themselves!
2 comments:
"this is a good point to remind young folks out there not to post everything about yourselves. I know it is easy to feel trust, but the social media thing can fall into other hands, and when it does, things like this happen."
This, this, a thousand times, THIS.
Its getting to a point where I honestly feel zero sympathy for anyone whose plight directly results from their own social media posts or texting. When in the holy hell are people going to start pulling their heads out of their own asses to see how insanely dangerous social media is if there is any chance anyone views them with suspicion or jealousy or as "not one of us"? There is no longer a shred of a fragment of an excuse for this posting stupidity in 2019: you have to be an utter complete moron and willfully self-destructive not to heed all the horrific stories dating back years already.
For the love of all thats holy, if you are gay or trans teen or a straight boy not into sports or an unattractive or heavyset school girl: STAY OFF SOCIAL MEDIA. There is nothing positive you will get from it, but a great deal of negativity that can steamroller your life and sanity. There's nothing you can do to stop other vile people gossiping about you on their accounts, but if you don't have your own account they won't be able to directly harass you every five minutes, and they won't be able to lift photos from your account to Photoshop penises into your mouth.
Don't send any incriminating texts either, and DEFINITELY under no circumstances text anyone a photo of yourself, naked or fully clothed. No matter how much you think you trust a friend or lover: the unpleasant truth is 50% of them will turn on you viciously at some point in the near future. The less of a paertrail you leave behind, the better, and the fewer photos of you floating around that people can manipulate, the better.
Believe it or not, until very very recently no full-scale massed online harassment was even possible. Up until 2011, people lived happy rich full lives for thousands of years without social media. Yes, in todays culture it is difficult for adults to survive without some kind of presence, for career reasons if nothing else. But if you're a child or teen: just walk away. You can live without it until you graduate high school and get the hell away from churlish childish cliques. Even in college, be careful and discreet: remember there is ALWAYS more to lose than to be gained. The more exposed you are, the more likely a mob or lunatic will randomly come for you.
No matter how special you think you are (and you ARE), a billion other people are doing the exact same things as you and posting them on social media. Even Mount Everest is littered with trash now because so many hundreds of people went there to post selfies on Instagram. Nothing you could possibly post hasn't already been posted thousands of times previously, with better pictures. Its a contest with only losers playing: the winners don't bother at all.
My Dear,
I hesitated on putting that point in,
because I did not want to seem I was blaming
Channning. What this does show is what has
been said for years--teens' brains, smart as
they may think they are, are not fully developed
which accounts for Mean Girl behavior, and why
someone like Chnning naively and blithely would
put something like this on their device.
When kids start using social media, someone
should down, and talk to them about the
consequences. It should be required in schools.
This may be a way to stop this.
But then kids are still kids, so no matter
how much you tell them...…….
Nevertheless, SOME may take the time to
listen and think. And that is better
than none!
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