Beware of what you share

An internet hacking group called Anonymous recently named and shamed a man who posted topless pictures of a 15-year old girl online and bullied her into committing suicide.
The girl, Amanda Todd, hanged herself on October 10. Just weeks prior to her death she had posted a video on youtube in which she described the pain she has had to go through thanks to relentless cyber bullying.

It all started when she met a stranger online who asked her to show him her breasts on a webcam. Inexplicably, she went through with the request, only to learn that the stranger had uploaded the image on a Facebook page in which her friends were added. She was bullied mercilessly by her peers, to the point that she was forced to move to a new city and change schools.

But more trouble was to come.

She then began a relationship with an older man, unaware that he had a girlfriend. The man's jealous girlfriend tracked her down and beat her up, plunging her into such a state that she went home and drank bleach in an attempt to commit suicide.
She was rushed to hospital to flush out the bleach but she continued in her attempt to end her life, despite counselling and antidepressants. On October 10, she was found hanged.

A sad story indeed. But upon reading it, I couldn't help but shake my head in disbelief. While I am glad that the scumbag who started all this was caught and while I hope that all the bullies who brought so much misery into Amanda's short, tragic life will get what they deserve, if Amanda was around today and I had the chance to have a talk with her, the first question I would ask is 'WHAT ON EARTH WERE YOU THINKING!!!???' Seriously, did she expect anything good to come out of flashing her naughty bits to a complete stranger on the internet? It doesn't take a genius to know that such acts can lead to a world of pain and damaged reputations. Perhaps teenage exuberance and naivete' may have played a part but really, and no offense intended, Amanda should have known better.

It makes me sad whenever I read news stories of people (most of whom are young girls) being bullied and tormented all because of a mistake they made on the internet, which are mostly of the over-sharing type. No one deserves to be treated that way, but some victims really have no one to blame but themselves. Yes, cyber bullying can be the result of other people's doing (eg. people taking a lot of flak thanks to false rumours being spread about them online) but in other cases, they are the result of the victim's carelessness. It goes without saying that you should be careful of what you share online, especially to people you have never met before. They are not always what - or who - they appear to be.

Anonymous identified a 32-year old man from British Columbia, Canada as the offender, and as it turns out his username has appeared in other websites in which he blackmails and preys on young girls. Unfortunately, attempts to speak to him have been futile, especially since the address that Anonymous gave to the police was the wrong one. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, however, states that they are aware of the information posted online.

This tragic story should serve as a cautionary tale for internet users everywhere, particularly those who are young and impressionable. Be very careful about what you share and beware of creeps online. Do not post anything on there that you wouldn't want your parents to see.
As for Amanda Todd, may you Rest In Peace, Kiddo. Your suffering is over now. Condolences go out to your friends and family.