Sick of Twitter Trolls? These Teens Are Too
It used to be that retreating to the solitude of your home or computer meant you were safe from school bullies. However, with social networks and smartphones, this is no longer the case. Nearly 30 percent of kids ages 8 to 17 report they've been cyberbullied, and over half of kids fear they will be as well.
Twitter is a cyberbully's best friend. With 140 characters to say whatever you please about whomever you want, it's no wonder the social network has over 15,000 bully tweets a day.
To stand against cyberbullying and boost his classmates' self-esteem, Jeremiah Anthony, a junior at West High in Iowa City, Iowa, started the Twitter account @westhighbros.
Many people get cyberbullied on Twitter and Facebook because bullies seize on perceived personal imperfections—but no one is perfect, Anthony said in the video. "Showing the goodness in people is very integral to our account."
Here's an example of a compassionate tweet by @westhighbros.
"We try to have as sincere compliments as possible," Anthony said. "I think everyone likes a sincere compliment."
Related Stories on TakePart:
• Anna Breslaw’s 600-Word Sprint: The Twitter Disconnection
• Twitter Is Turning Into a Cyberbullying Playground
• 5 Things to Keep in Mind About Bullying
Andrew Freeman is a California native with a degree in history from UCLA. He’s covered a wide range of topics for TakePart, but is particularly interested in politics and policy. Email Andrew |@natureofdabeast | TakePart.com
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