The Life Of James Murphy.

Myspace.com currently claims over 110 million active monthly users, ranked as the 6th most visited website worldwide by Alexa.com. Created for users to interact and be able to communicate with people around the world featured in every global country of the world.

Myspace.com is causing a serious problem around the world. I see peers at school on MySpace, sending comments and messaging people, they’re addicted and don’t even know it. You ask them why they can’t just focus on school and check their comments when they get home, most of the replies you get are sadly about MySpace ‘being their life’ or they need to catch up on the latest gossip. What happen to the days where you’d all talk in the office on your lunch break or out in the courtyard, now it’s just “I’ll comment you on MySpace tonight with the gossip” You may not think this is a serious issue but I’ve dug further into this issue and the following articles may cause horrific thoughts or make you realize this is a serious problem..

Megan Meier was a 13 year old teenager; she suffered from clinical depression, ADD and low self-esteem. She had all the average teen problems and was about to start a brand new school. She let go of a friendship in her neighborhood and then all her problems begin. People in her street set out and created “Josh” They become close and she finally becomes happy, having a close friend, little did she know Josh was make-believe and this was fueled by hatred. Megan begins receiving hateful comments from Josh. The last comment recorded “Everybody in O’Fallon knows how you are. You are a bad person and everybody hates you. Have a shitty rest of your life. The world would be a better place without you.” Megan was later found hanging in a noose, they performed CPR and she was sent to hospital, she suffered brain damage and died later that day. Her parents later found out that Josh was made to take revenge on Megan for not being friends with a girl on the street. Lori Drew later admitted to controlling the MySpace account and sending the comments, she claims her daughter had nothing to do with the horrific act. Lori Drew came out with this statement

“Everyone needs to leave her alone. None of you can possibly know her involvement, and none of you can possibly know what she’s gone through. She’s just a kid. She doesn’t deserve these brutal verbal attacks. Please stop”

How dare Lori Drew come out with such a hypocritical statement stating that YOUR daughter doesn’t deserve these brutal verbal attacks. HOW DARE YOU CAUSE A KID TO COMMIT SUICIDE OVER SOMETHING THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU. How could a mother send abusive attacks over MySpace and then come out saying people to leave her daughter alone after pushing a clinically depressed teenager to suicide.

Sadly, due to this being such a horrific crime that has never have been seen before, it never had a law passed to prosecute such acts. Lori Drew got off with one count of conspiracy and three counts of accessing protected computers without authorization to obtain information to inflict emotional distress. She’ll face a maximum of 5 years jail.

Sadly this isn’t the only case of suicide caused by MySpace, A girl that I met once at a school excursion, pretty and had perfect marks, went to an all girl’s school. Sadly took her life over bullying on MySpace and at school.

We can only hope that laws are past to protect people from online bullying and abuse. People don’t deserve to have to take their lives over being bullied or being hurt, they deserve a fair chance to live and deserve to be happy. People need to watch their children’s MySpace use, limit the kids use and hopefully MySpace can make something to protect them.

If you’re ever in trouble – I recommend to check out
http://www.reachout.com.au or your local kids help line, they’re anonymous.

Resources:

November 12, 2007
‘My Space’ hoax ends with suicide of Dardenne Prairie teen
(Suburban Journals: Steve Pokin)

November 12, 2007
MySpace Cruel Prank Leads To Teen’s Suicide
(Death by 1000 Papercuts)
Reprints the St. Charles Journal story complete, with some additional commentary.

November 13, 2007
POKIN AROUND: A real person, a real death
(St. Charles Journal: Steve Pokin)

November 13, 2007
Readers respond in force to story on suicide, MySpace hoax
(St. Charles Journal: Steve Pokin)

November 14, 2007
Girl Commits Suicide Over Internet Prank by ADULTS—Who is Responsible?
(Orlando Sentinel)

November 15, 2007
MySpace Suicide: Megan Meier’s Story May Prevent Others
(Death by 1000 Papercuts)

May 16, 2008
Lori Drew charged over MySpace suicide
(The Sydney Morning Herald)