Today's blog comes from Megan Bryan, one of our beloved interns at LifeWay. Megan is a senior journalism major at Middle Tennessee State University. She has had a heart for girls’ ministry since she was seventeen, and has always felt a calling in journalism. She dances in her car, loves watching the Atlanta Braves play baseball (so sorry for you, Megan), and enjoys the rare days she gets to sleep in!
I recently watched the movie Cyberbully on ABC Family. I’m not a huge fan of made-for-television movies, but I had seen this one advertised and it sparked my interest. In the movie, Taylor, a high school student, starts a profile on a social media network. Shortly after the creation, her profile is littered with degrading comments about her, and her reputation at school is ruined.
The movie is exaggerated (hence the made-for-television aspect), but the situation is real in the lives of many middle- and high-school girls today. With a computer to hide behind, it has become easier to insult and embarrass people online. That doesn’t mean that the mean comments hurt any less.
According to the Cyberbullying Research Center, approximately 21% of students have reported feeling victimized by digital abuse. While it seems like a small number now, the increasing use of Twitter and Facebook among teenagers may possibly cause it to grow.
In Ephesians, Paul writes, “No rotten talk should come from your mouth, but only what is good for the building up of someone in need, in order to give grace to those who hear.”-Ephesians 4:29
Talk to your girls about this verse, and the dangers of cyberbullying, and how it hurts the victims of it. Ask them if someone has ever said anything hurtful to them online, and how they dealt with the pain and sadness. Ask the girls in your group what they think of by “rotten talk” and how that applies to talking to one another online. Encourage your girls to be supportive and encouraging to their friends online, so no one else feels like an outcast because of the Internet.
Talk to the girls in your small group about the need for online safety, as well. Help them learn how to protect themselves while online, from anyone who could hurt them. Having these conversations with your girls will help them understand that the Internet is a big place, and almost anyone can see what they post.
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