Cyber-Bullying: The Tragic Case of Amanda Todd

Amanda Todd, who was a cyber-bullying victim, hanged herself eventually at her home at the age of fifteen. Cyber-bullying existed since the 2000s following the introduction of sites like Facebook and MySpace. At first, cyber-bullying was only noticed by its victims, but with the rapid growth of social media, it became a public issue. Amanda's cyber-bullying case exposed a continuing problem in the social media era. Her case brought awareness of the effects of bullying and how a single comment could cause damages and cost lives. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) launched an investigation to examine the events surrounding Amanda's suicide and figure out if bullying caused her suicidal death. This essay will examine Amanda Todd's suicide outcomes and how it fits with the rest of the course.

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Amanda Todd made terrible decisions, which make people blame her for her victimization. In her seventh grade, she talked with a stranger on a webcam who started her troubles. A particular type of fame had found her already due to the online posts where she sang. Todd convinced herself plainly that escaping that kind of life would be impossible. The stranger who turned out to be a pedophile was used to stalking girls and called them "stunning, beautiful, perfect.” The man used his flattery skills and convinced Amanda to show her breasts, and he took a picture of her naked self. Since that incident, the man would blackmail Todd into putting on a show for him, which continued for a whole year. One day Amanda turned the man's request down, and as promised, he emailed her pictures, naked, to her family and friends. Afterward, he created a Facebook account and used Todd’s breasts for a profile picture. As a result, classmates, who called her a pornstar instead of prosecuting the pervert who exposed her, bullied Todd. Later, she was forced to switch schools, but she still faced anxiety disorder and depression due to the incident. She started using drugs and drinking to feel better, but the stalker revealed her pictures to her new friends again. This triggered second bullying, which led to isolation and made her move to another school. In her new school, Todd made another mistake of trusting an “old guy friend" who convinced her to sleep with him despite having a girlfriend. When people knew about it, Todd received a beating from the girlfriend and her friends, which was videotaped. The stalker guy showed up this time and her reputation as torn apart again. Todd tried her first suicidal, but luckily she was rushed to a hospital and survived. Later she posted a video on YouTube holding cards that read, “I’m stuck." What’s left of me now? Nothing stops. I have nobody.” She attempted her second murder and succeeded (CBC News, 2014).

Amanda's parents are blamed for not following their daughter's activities closely, especially on the internet. Being attentive to Todd's actions would not have been considered as invasion of privacy. Also, instead of providing their depressed daughter with mental support, they always run from their problems. They relocated each and every time an incident occurred at Todd's school. All the technology thing is very new and often, but

Amanda's parents were not keen on how it worked. Instead, they trusted their twelve years daughter, who jeopardized her life without notice. The Royal Canadian Mounted police (RCMP) were notified the locations of other victims in Todd's case, and they reached out to them where they advanced investigation skills as expected. They collected information from Amanda's friends, parents, and her computer and eventually nailed her stalker.

Amanda Todd's case fits with the rest of the course in that it portrays how digital photography complexity and permanence develop concerns about sexual violence victims. Butler refers to social media as the “digitalization of evil." Films reflect on inactive attitudes in society and shape people's ideas and perceptions. In pop culture, crime is a popular theme for people who make films. Media has been described as a social space shared where the development and negotiation of our attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs happen.

In conclusion, Amanda Todd is blamed for her lack of moral behavior, letting her stalkers blackmail to control her, trusting the wrong people in her new school and attempting to take her own life. Her parents blamed for failing to monitor her online activities and entrusting her with media and the latest technology. Amanda's parents also failed to provide their daughter with mental healthcare and instead ran off every time bullying worsened. The RCMP helped a great deal by getting in contact with other victims and tracing down the stalker. Also, Amanda Todd’s' case fits with the rest of the course.

Reference

CBC News. (2014). Retrieved 16 July 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQRnSIa-qQM.