Jonah Mowry’s emotional video just might change the way kids treat one another.
Then again, we’ve thought that of the countless children who have taken their lives…simply too exhausted to continue their fight.
Bullying has changed.
There was a time we teased one another at school…and it ended at school. It was wrong.
Words that came from our mouths were cruel, said for no other reason than the fact that we believed a child didn’t “fit in” to what we decided was “the norm”. There are a few people who come to mind, who were ruthlessly picked on when I went to school. Not poked fun at, not joked with and teased, not “part of the joke and enjoying the camaraderie of friendship”… but ruthlessly picked on by multiple people.
I can’t imagine how they’d have fared in today’s society.
Twenty years ago, children could get away from it. At the end of a school day they could seek shelter in the comfort of their homes…which hopefully, were safe places to be. Today, kids don’t have a moment to breathe…the bullying follows them on their computers, on their phones, at their extra curricular activities. They can’t get away from the bullshit that’s constantly filling their heads by kids who either have nothing better to do with their time or sadly, need an outlet to release their own pain.
Teachers, parents…we can do our best to educate our children against bullying but it’s the children themselves who need to make the stand.
Maybe using social media in a different way, might be the place to start.
Which is what Jonah did.
Facebook has a “like” button…maybe it needs a “bully” button. Maybe if a comment is questionable, rude or nasty, kids can click on the “bully” button. Make the writer think for a second about what was said. Give them the opportunity to apologize for their words…open up the discussion…or shut it down.
To some extent, poking fun, teasing, kidding around and joking with one another is part of growing up…defining your character, discovering what you believe in and what makes you tick. However, ruthless attacks against another person’s character is WRONG and absolutely has to stop.
It’s up to the adults to educate and guide our children in the right direction, but it’s up to our children to make the difference. Empower them to make the change.
Just like Jonah is trying to do.
Other posts I’ve written on bullying:
Stop Bullying
Angel
wow such a powerful video!