EDHS Contemporary World Affairs

Phil Song · Veteran Member

Cyberbullying suicide: Italy shocked by Amnesia Ask.fm case

kyndall slote · Veteran Member

I think Ask Fm is completely out of line and the DUMBEST website ever created. The country, including all other countries, need to ban this website or remove it because it is a website purely for bullying. Other websites should also promote anit-bullying, especially Ask fm. Many people who make an ASK fm are curious of what other think about them, mainly teens. This is not healthy considering ALL people write are negative things and they can easily bully because the comments are anonymous. They need to make legislative steps to seriously treat this website and end its terror.

Bernie · Veteran Member

they should tell the kids to delete the app that they are being bullied on..problem solved

thanksobama · Veteran Member

I think that is very sad that a girl would commit suicide over a website. I believe cyber bullying is the worst type of bullying because our generation is filled with social media. I think the website should be removed if this continues and I think other social media websites should commit to stop cyber bullying because it happens so often.

ashtree · Veteran Member

I think this story is just really sad and horrible. It's extremely unfortunate that the young girl felt the need to take her own life in order to escape the harassment. I don't really know how a country could stop these events. If the government were to step in, it's hard to say what they could do to help other than censoring the internet. Censoring isn't something we really want. The best we can do is educate people but other than that, these events will most likely continue happening. The websites, however, could do more by using their time to reduce cyber bullying. This would probably help lessen the rate of cyber bullying.

TimothyIngleWood · Veteran Member

Individual Response by Timothy Ingle 2/12/14:

I think Ask.fm is pretty much asking for peoples opinions, good or bad. If you let peoples opinions get to you, you shouldn't use Ask.fm or should just learn to deal with it. I feel really bad for the young girl who threw her life away over this issue, but people are going to give you their opinions in life and there's no avoiding that. Some people are going to like you and some people are going to dislike you. Don't let bullies bully you.

chriscai43 · Veteran Member

Teens should really be cautious when using this kind of website or app. It is not for the kind of people who would get enraged easily as it is full of jerks who just want to ruin people's lives just by making a rude comment. Many companies should take a stand against cyberbullying and "trolling", as it can endanger someone's life.

In other words, for the safety of the internet and others, there has to be a zero-tolerance policy to take things like this very seriously, so no one has to commit suicide over an insignificant comment made by someone who has no life, no sympathy, and no morality.

-- Edited by chriscai43 on Friday 14th of February 2014 06:22:52 PM

sassyseamans · Veteran Member

I believe this website should be taken down. Ask fm is used purely for cyber bullying and its pathetic. But I also believe it is that persons choice whether to have the ask fm account or not. If you do not create the account you will not receive the cyber bullying.

Eusebio · Veteran Member

I do not think the country can really do anything, for these kind of issues. i think that websites should try to reduce cyber bullying, but i do not think it will stop because they can not monuitor that many people, and the bullying will happen everywhere

Dj_DirtyDan · Veteran Member

I think that this is absolutely wrong and that it needs to stop. i refer everyone to the Amanda Todd video last year where it was the same situation. The only difference here is that this isn't viral.

AmeenSH · Veteran Member

This is a very sad story and I feel for the family of the young girl who took her own life, but I don't think that the problem lies only with the internet. The fact of the matter is that if this girl did not create an Ask.fm account and didn't see those hate comments, then things may have turned out better (though it isn't a guarantee). We have a big problem around the world with the internet becoming a coping mechanism for people going through tough times, so they do things like post a melancholy story to Facebook or go on Ask.fm. Instead of going onto the internet where hate isn't monitored and people do not feel remorse for saying horrible things, the girl should have talked to her family or friends for support instead of people online. This isn't the website's fault, this is reality. People are mean. People are going to make fun of you. It's only going to be worse online. Go watch some funny videos on YouTube to cheer yourself up, where you won't be judged instead of going on Ask.fm where you will inevitably be harassed.

jshrewsbury · Veteran Member

Ask fm should be taken down, or rather people should restrain from making accounts there because its a website purely used for cyber bullying and really nothing else.

Chapstick · Veteran Member

I do not think deleting or censoring this app would help the situation at all. In order to promote anti-bullying, the direction to focus on are the teens using Ask.fm. They need to be educated that in a cyber world, evil will come out, sometimes all at once, especially if the replys are anonymous. No one can take away the hate on the internet, although you can make teens realize that the value of the negative comments isnt worth dying for. When they post their ideas or thoughts on the internet, they must realize that they are opening themselves to the world, and must not take the negative comments to heart.

GigiFrag · Veteran Member

Although I feel bad for this girl and her family, I believe that this is ridiculous. With its option to leave anonymous comments, Ask.fm is a safe haven for cyber-bullies. If you sign up for that website you HAVE to expect something less than kindness. Even though not every anonymous user on Ask.fm doesn't mean to cause harm, an overwhelming majority does. I don't think that banning this website will stop cyber-bulling, because it isn't the first of its kind nor will it be the last. No one should ever be bullied like this girl was, but I believe that it was her mistake to open an Ask.fm account, as she knew what the website entailed and the risks that may come from it.

gm0604 · Senior Member

I think that ask.fm should be taken down because i believe that more cases like this will continue to happen. I personally do not have an account but i have seen the inappropriate and hateful comments and questions people comment. I think this website encourages bullying because people can express their feelings about another with no consequences. I feel that bullying is a huge problem and the internet is a main cause because people can hide behind a monitor. In order for bullying to be reduced i think websites such as this need to be taken down or boycotted.

tayden · Veteran Member

I think that ask.fm is kinda a pointless website. However, if you are going on there to ask people questions, you should be prepared for the answers that you are going to get. I do think that cyber bullying is wrong in so many ways and it should be addressed because this is one of the main sources for bullying. Cyber bullying is unexceptable and needs to stop.

DeeFink · Veteran Member

This story should be more recongized. People need to know what cyber bullying and what it does to people.

Lynn14 · Veteran Member

I think they should just take the website down especially if all that's going on is bullying. The people working on the website its self should do something about it cause obviously they see whats going on and for a girl to kill herself because shes getting bullied should give them a hint that something is wrong with the site and they can get sued.

Sauceboss · Veteran Member

i think if someone is being cyber bullied enough to commit suicide, they should just stop using that website/app. However kids do need more education on the affects of cyber bullying and how much it can hurt a person.

gbarizzle · Veteran Member

I personally think cyber is really stupid and i think the solution to it is to turn off your computer or get offline... i think that we give too much attention to something that could be so easily avoidable. I think in the case of askfm, that website is a bullying breeding ground. Your'e able to ask anything or comment anonymously to people you know and are free to write what ever you want to them. I think the moment you join the website, your'e just asking to be teased or harassed. I personally thin k that the website should be taken down, but i know that wont happen, so i would say just don't go on that website.

tay2me · Veteran Member

This website continues to disgust me for many reasons. I don't understand why people still insist on needing other peoples approval over the internet. ASk.fm has only caused bad things throughout the world and it breaks my heart hearing this story as well of other stories dealing with this website. I feel bad for the people who think they need this website to be somebody and believe they are popular.

tay2me · Veteran Member

This website continues to disgust me for many reasons. I don't understand why people still insist on needing other peoples approval over the internet. ASk.fm has only caused bad things throughout the world and it breaks my heart hearing this story as well of other stories dealing with this website. I feel bad for the people who think they need this website to be somebody and believe they are popular.

Tristen · Veteran Member

Websites like Ask.fm should be outlawed because they have resulted in numerous deaths because of bullying. There are no positive reasons to have an Ask.fm. People will always have rude things to say anonymously.

AmyBlax29 · Veteran Member

This case is mainly focused on the website which I don't have a problem with. If your being bullied than it's probably not smart to continue using the website. Ask.fm has settings where you can block people if they send negative questions/comments to you. If people do send demeaning questions it doesn't mean that you have to answer them. Bullies feed off of the reaction that you give back , so don't give them a reaction. The country should not have to get involved in such a matter. If you have an ask.fm you should know the risks that come with it.