Here’s the graph:

Glad to be back!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a techno-geek of the purest kind, but I’m a marketer first. The marketer part of me puts a heavy emphasis on human interaction and relationships. My focus on technology is about how people connect to each other, just through a online medium instead of face-to-face. But at the end of the day, for me and for my clients, its about personal relationships and how those translate into business.

That’s why I was floored when I read an article last night put out on the BBC tech feed. The article was called ‘Action needed’ on internet bullying. I have to admit, my first response was anger.

I grew up in a somewhat small town, less than a hundred kids in my class in middle school. I moved there from a bigger city, with nearly one thousand kids in my class. Being an army brat and moving a ton, meeting new people was no problem. In fact, I looked forward to my new residence and friends. Instead, I was ostracized, ignored, made fun of, abused on my bus, enough where my parents finally removed me from the school and sent me to a private academy.

I do not hold a grudge though, in the end, I got to go to a fantastic school with amazing teachers. And I’m aware that kids are meanest during middle school. However, where were the articles talking about bullying then? I don’t remember ever reading an article like this one. Does it matter less because harmful teasing has gone on since the beginning of time?

I’m not saying that online bullying doesn’t happen, or isn’t a problem, but I think the root of the problem is that kids are mean. This isn’t an online phenomenon, its a fact of life. Deal with the REAL problem. Don’t make it out to be some internet-age disease that only the new generation experiences. If you make websites have certain standards of behavior, you better apply those same rules to schools.

Technology should come second. Its real life that matters more.

What are your thoughts about the BBC article and online bullying?