Living in the (desensitized) digital age

First of all, I would like to start by saying that technological advances have accomplished some pretty amazing feats: expanding medical capacities, broadening the scope of communication, and modernizing methods of education, to name a few. Advancements in technology, however, come with serious repercussions. Recently, I read an article (
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2010/1001/Rutgers-student-death-Has-Digital-Age-made-students-callous) about two students from Rutgers University who allegedly set up a Webcam that publicly streamed a gay student's sexual activity. The victim of this hate crime, Tyler Clementi, consequently committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge just three days the videos aired.

This tragic, extreme incident calls into question some of the implications of modern technology. Even if this instance of cyberbullying was not the sole cause of Clementi's suicide (there are likely to have been other factors), this worst-case scenario highlights the importance of evaluating the dangers of technology abuse. It seems ironic that with an influx of technology, especially that which pertains to communication, we are experiencing such a desensitization, such an interpersonal disconnect. In a New York Daily News article (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2010/09/29/2010-09-29_rutgers_freshmen_busted_for_spying_on_fellow_students_online_sex_session_officia.html) the authors recall that Clementi's last Facebook status read:
"Jumping off the gw bridge sorry." In a world in which we document our every actions through status updates, Twitter posts, and text messages, there is an undeniable loss of sympathy among people. We are more connected than ever before, yet we are by no means more in touch with one another.

This case has also raised awareness regarding the issue of cyberbullying. Typically associated with teens in middle and high school, cyberbullying is becoming more prevalent (or more widely reported) on college campuses. In a Wall Street Journal article entitled, "Cyberbullying Goes to College" (http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2010/09/30/the-rutgers-students-suicide-cyberbullying-goes-to-college/), author Jennifer Valentino-DeVries writes, "Cyberbullying is such a new phenomenon that psychologists don’t know much about exactly what causes it, but in theory it’s similar to ordinary bullying, Dr. Kowalski said. That sort of bullying was long thought to result from overcompensation for low self esteem, but in fact it’s typically people who have high self esteem. These are people who just 'think that this is sort of funny,' Dr. Kowalski added." Although I have never experienced cyberbullying, it is evident that this practice occurs at colleges and universities throughout the US. In the case of the Rutgers student, this cyberbullying aggression had grave effects. In the wake of this tragedy, the only positive result lies in awareness. One can only hope that such a calamitous event enlightens others about the seriousness of cyberbullying.

For more information on the Rutgers tragedy and other instances of cyberbullying, see:


http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/10/05/2010-10-05_hate_crime_may_not_be_option_in_rutgers_case.html


http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2010/09/29/2010-09-29_rutgers_freshmen_busted_for_spying_on_fellow_students_online_sex_session_officia.html


http://stopcyberbullying.org/

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2010/10/02/rutgers_mourns_freshman_who_committed_suicide/