Write or Wong?: Cybershaming: Social Media Embarassments

KAYIU WONG
Staff Writer

A mom recently caught her teenage daughter cyberbullying, and as a result, posted a picture of her daughter holding a note that said, “My name is Hailey. I am a kind, caring, smart girl, but I make poor choices with social media. As a punishment, I am selling my iPod and will be donating the money to the charity Beat Bullying, in hopes of changing my behavior as well as bringing awareness to bullying, because bullying is wrong.” Can you imagine if when you were caught doing something wrong, your mom posted a picture of you holding up a sign describing what you did as a punishment?

It seems that since bullying has taken a new form online, parents have also utilized the web as a new way to reprimand their children, also known as cybershaming.

Although social media is a very powerful tool, using it as a punishment is not effective. Though the girl should receive some sort of discipline to help her learn bullying is wrong, “cybershaming” her immortalizes the punishment but fails to teach the lesson. Making the girl apologize for her actions face-to-face to whom she hurt would have taught a more meaningful lesson.

Before cybershaming becomes too conspicuous, parents need to realize that shaming their kids as a way of parenting is horrific and detestable. Rather than convincing children that they are inherently bad, parents should emphasize that their behavior needs to change instead. A lesson that is genuinely understood and teaches right from wrong is far greater than a lesson derived from fear of another humiliating photograph.