Cell Phones And Bullying – The Manufacturer’s Fault?

It is the job of many a news journalist to inform the public about worrying developments, and if there are no developments that are particularly worrying, to make something sound like one.

If people don’t get scared, after all, these people won’t have jobs. Is the issue of mobile phone bullying one of the latter, or the former – a reasonable cause to worry, or a phony hysteria?

It first came to widespread attention in the middle of the last decade that children were being bullied by means of their mobile phones.

Just ten years ago it was not all that common for kids to have a cell phone, and less common for kids who weren’t their friends to have their number. But the more phones there are, the greater the potential for bullying.

This bullying tended to take the form of text messages, often sent from an unfamiliar number, that contained threats. In other cases, constant prank calls were the issue, as well as chain text messages telling lies about the victim of bullying.

Then there have been other issues such as derision aimed at children who have less up-to-date phones, and theft from those whose phones are desirable.

Does this mean that there is a charge to lay at the door of the mobile phone manufacturer?

They have made it easier for children to be bullied, after all, and given them something that will be the excuse for bullying to commence.

This takes very little account of the irrationality and resourcefulness of a bully, however. While phones do indeed have the above capabilities, any bully will find a way and a reason to attack someone – not that precautions should not be taken.