Creating & Presenting - Unit 2
Annotated Sample oral presentation I WOULD LIKE to address a problem which appears to be increasing in severity lately: that of cyber bullying. It has been described as the new stranger danger, which is apt, but paradoxically, the 'strangers' are often people known to us but who are too cowardly to identify themselves. It is insidious and reflective of the scope of technology: the hidden camera, the digital manipulation facilities, the capacity to conceal identities. In short, Nineteen Eighty-Four has arrived, complete with Newspeak, and it's worse than George Orwell ever envisaged. Many schools around this state have been concerned enough to implement policies that are 'up-to-date and meaningful', as adolescent psychologist Michael CarrGregg advocates. The Parents Victoria organisation is now involved, insisting 'appropriate processes are followed' after defamatory blogs by parents caused great medical and emotional distress to a school principal. A fine example these parents are setting their children. Frighteningly, for those who assume attending an elite religious school would ensure no involvement in such behaviour, five students at a very prestigious college were recently suspended for glorifying physical bullying in cyberspace. This is a classless, ageless monster. It reminds one of the choirboys of Golding's Lord of the Flies.
VCE ENGLISH UNIT 1&2
It is far too simplistic to stereotype bullies and victims, or to claim that certain groups are more culpable or more vulnerable to abuse than others. However, perhaps the solution to all this lies within ourselves. Children have long been instructed by adults to 'just ignore' bullies, as they will soon tire of their game. But this approach is clearly not working. The problem has not disappeared; the site of bullying has merely shifted from the playground to cyberspace. A better solution is to tackle the problem head-on, through frank discussion and improved education about the causes and consequences of bullying. If the relatively new resilience programs established even in Early Childhood education across Australia are to be of any use at all, this is the time to ensure they are supported. Children from a young age are recognised as having self-esteem issues that need addressing, so the dialogue has to be vigorous. As Julie Edwards, CEO of the Jesuit Social Services asserts, 'it's not just up to parents ... We must see this as a --collective community responsibility'. As the Dalai Lama - no stranger to persecution himself - so rightly observes, 'We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we have less communication'. Opening the lines of communication and engendering trust is of the highest importance. It is well known that generally people who are trusted will rise to the faith placed in them.
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Creating & Presenting - Unit 2
Education is the key. As with any behaviour that needs to change, a collective mind-shift is necessary, through informed choice. Fear tactics simply breed more fear, as has been evident in so many movements like McCarthyism, anticommunist witch -hunts in America in the late 1940s-1950s or ethnic cleansing in the 20th and 21st centuries. Simply putting bans or restrictions in place will only lead to more anxiety and paranoia. In any case, as Michael Carr-Gregg points out, even young children are technologically savvy enough to access 'mirror sites', which most adults are unaware of, bypassing well-intentioned filtering systems.
psychological profiles that spur some to engage in cyber bullying is vital. Improved critical literacy will enable the identification of more insidious and subtle cyber bullying. We need to foster a resilience, which will enable young people to rise above taunts and personal attacks that may occur. And finally, adults need to educate themselves about the technology and its myriad uses. In summary I'd like to quote Mahatma Gandhi: 'You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops -of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.' Let's not panic and have our behaviour dictated by a few bad people; if we work together we can solve problems and become stronger both as individuals and as a society.
So education about the unhealthy behaviour of some people and the probable
VCE ENGLISH UNIT 1&2
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