Social Media

[RoyJess]

@IanSR the law is very complex. If I was standing on a street corner busking, I do not have the right to tell someone to stop filming me or to delete any photos that were taken.

If someone stuck the lens of a camera inches away from my face, then I have the right to say no as they are invading my personal space.

If someone keep on taking photos of me continuously and was following me around everywhere I went taking photos, then I have the right to ask them to stop, not just under the harassment laws, but also under the stalking laws.

Taking the odd pic or two of someone in public is not illegal. The link you supplied say't its based on how the person taking the pics are making the person feel to and it can't be due to a single pic, but a multiple of pics taken for it to be harassment.

@Rick I never said the guy in the pic was a bad parent as a whole, I'm just saying that any criticism is justified for his actions on the platform just based on what was seen in that pic and his response. Anything else about the dad is irrelevant.

 

[Plastic Person]

@Rick I never said the guy in the pic was a bad parent as a whole, I'm just saying that any criticism is justified for his actions on the platform just based on what was seen in that pic and his response. Anything else about the dad is irrelevant.

You've just inadvertently summed up exactly what's wrong about social media 'justice', because as soon as you've got hundreds or thousands of strangers beying for your blood on Twitter and the like, everything else about your life is irrelevant.

It's a few years old now, but I'd reccomend Jon Ronson's book, 'So You've Been Publicly Shamed', which only gets more relevant with each passing day at the moment.

 

[Rick]

@Plastic Person A great read

 

[Plastic Person]

@Plastic Person A great read

Thanks, mate!

Oh, you meant the book... Agreed!

 

[Rick]

@Plastic Person A great man

 

[RoyJess]

You've just inadvertently summed up exactly what's wrong about social media 'justice', because as soon as you've got hundreds or thousands of strangers beying for your blood on Twitter and the like, everything else about your life is irrelevant.

Strangers beying for your blood is nothing new, just look at history to see there were plenty of public killing and mocking of other humans.

I think the internet is too easy for people to troll or voice their nasty or non PC opinion as they can hide behind a laptop. However it don't make it right though.

I also think you took my comment about everything else about the dad is irrelevant, completely out of context. What I was trying to say, that any comments or feelings about the dad was purely based on his actions at the station and not on him as a person as a whole. The everything else is irrelevant part is me saying that I not going to prejudge the dad as a person in general just based on the one incident. Only those that personally know the dad can answer what sort of person that he is in general and it's not for me or anyone else to demonise the dad in any way. If I was stupid enough to do anything so dangerous putting my kids in danger, then I too would deserve a public verbal lashing providing all the facts were presented. The transport police are investigating the incident and it will be down to them to take further action if required.

 

[IanSR]

@IanSR the law is very complex. If I was standing on a street corner busking, I do not have the right to tell someone to stop filming me or to delete any photos that were taken.

If someone stuck the lens of a camera inches away from my face, then I have the right to say no as they are invading my personal space.

If someone keep on taking photos of me continuously and was following me around everywhere I went taking photos, then I have the right to ask them to stop, not just under the harassment laws, but also under the stalking laws.

Taking the odd pic or two of someone in public is not illegal. The link you supplied say't its based on how the person taking the pics are making the person feel to and it can't be due to a single pic, but a multiple of pics taken for it to be harassment.

Yes, that was my point (bolded bit).

 

[Rick]

The evidence being presented today from the Facebook whistleblower is interesting, but not at all shocking.

I am surprised that people are surprised. Anyone else following along?

 

[Matt N]

The evidence being presented today from the Facebook whistleblower is interesting, but not at all shocking.

I am surprised that people are surprised. Anyone else following along?

I don't know what evidence you're referring to, but does this have something to do with the site going down yesterday?

 

[rob666]

Nothing to do with that Matt.
In an internal research document, Instagram has been seen to be a negative influence on the mental health of young people...particularly young females.
Facebook knew this, but (allegedly) failed to report the findings.
A member of staff has now highlighted the report through whistleblowing.
Do keep up, life isn't just about throughput and capacity!!!
Edit...'scuse me while I nip to the Tavern...

 

[Matt N]

Nothing to do with that Matt.
In an internal research document, Instagram has been seen to be a negative influence on the mental health of young people...particularly young females.
Facebook knew this, but (allegedly) failed to report the findings.
A member of staff has now highlighted the report through whistleblowing.
Do keep up, life isn't just about throughput and capacity!!!
Edit...'scuse me while I nip to the Tavern...

I’d like to think I do keep up, but I genuinely hadn’t seen this yesterday. Cheers, Rob!

 

[Skyscraper]

Bump.
This is a tragic example of how low social media has become. The amount of negativity and bullying on sites like Facebook and Twitter is appalling.

Paramedic, 23, killed herself after being 'pushed over the edge' by being shamed in Facebook post for littering while in uniform

A 'well-loved' paramedic who had 'everything to live for' took her own life during lockdown after being 'pushed over the edge' by a Facebook post shaming her for littering, an inquest has heard.

Charlotte Cope, 23, was found dead by her mother in a bedroom at the family home in Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales, on April 13 last year.

The day before her death, photos of Ms Cope in her Welsh Ambulance Service uniform were uploaded to social media by a member of the public claiming she had seen her littering outside her home.

Ms Cope had been on her way to work a night shift when she was stopped and pictured standing outside her car next to a pile of food waste and packaged food items.

She was then told about the post targeting her by a line manager at Gelli Ambulance Station, before admitting to the wrongdoing and saying she would pay any fine that was issued.

However, by the time she woke up the following day, the post had been shared hundreds of times, according to her family.

Her mother, Heidi, told an inquest into her death at South Wales Central Coroner's Court that the Facebook post 'pushed her over the edge'.

Ms Cope was said to have suffered from an eating disorder and anxiety, but her mother insisted her daughter had 'everything to live for'.

She told the court Ms Cope was a happy child who was enthusiastic about sport, having become Welsh judo champion on three occasions.

However, in 2012 at the age of 15, she developed anorexia and spent several weeks in hospital undergoing treatment for the disorder.

Ms Cope went on to study health and social care in college and attended Plymouth University to train to become a paramedic, joining the Welsh Ambulance Service in 2018 following her graduation.

She was said to have been a well-liked member of the team who 'loved her job' and enjoyed helping and saving people.

Despite this, though, she continued to suffer with her mental health at times and family members said they believed she had never recovered from her eating disorder - describing her as a 'troubled soul'.

On April 13, the day of her death, Ms Cope had spent time downstairs with her parents before returning to her bedroom at around 1.30pm, with everything said to have appeared 'normal'.

However, she was found dead by her mother at around 8.30pm.

Paramedics who the 999 call were colleagues and friends of Ms Cope and, in statements read at the inquest, told of how 'shocked' they were and described her as 'popular and well-loved'.

A message found on Miss Cope’s body directed family members to look at the notes she had written on her phone.

The notes said she wanted the 'horrendous' and 'disturbing' thoughts in her head to stop, repeatedly said she was sorry, and thanked her colleagues for all the memories they shared.

Assistant coroner Rachel Knight told the court: 'Charlotte had a complex history including a longstanding eating disorder, depression and anxiety, and was further upset by a post on social media that likely caused her to be embarrassed.'

Recording the cause of death as suicide, Ms Knight said to the family: 'I want to say how truly sorry I am for the loss of Charlotte. It is obvious to me how much you loved her, and how much she is missed.'

Speaking after the inquest, Ms Cope's mother said she believed the Facebook post had contributed to her daughter’s death.

She added: 'I believe she would be here today if it wasn’t for that post.

'She loved her family, her job, and the gym. She’d recently bought a car, booked to go on holiday with her friends, and got concert tickets to see Pink live. She had everything to live for.

'Charlotte did have anxiety and was obviously still struggling with her eating disorder and we supported her with that - we even built her a gym in the garage so she could continue to work out during lockdown. But I think the post pushed her over the edge.

'That day she woke up to find the post had been shared hundreds of times and the messages being written about her were vile and she was too embarrassed.

'I just want people to realise what a dangerous and nasty place Facebook can be, and what they post can have an impact on someone and their family.'

Rest in peace Charlotte.

 

[D4n]

I would hardly call this a reflection of everything wrong with social media.

Calling somebody out for littering is hardly outrageous. She was in the wrong.

Obviously never nice to read about somebody struggling with mental health issues, I've had my share of my own, but that doesn't mean you don't have responsibility for your own actions.

 

[Rick]

I would hardly call this a reflection of everything wrong with social media.

Calling somebody out for littering is hardly outrageous. She was in the wrong.

That's exactly what I would call it. Surely there is a distinction between calling someone out who drops something 10ft in front of you on the pavement vs. taking a picture, putting it online and allowing the Twitterati to do their worst?

I would counter that social media enables a response that is disproportionate to the misdeed and creates pressure on people and organisations to respond to a statistically insignificant, hugely visible & loud, self selecting electronic mob. People are encouraged to pile on in dopamine-driven madness - it's crazy.

If you rewind 20 years and that lady had done the same thing someone might have called her out for it on the street, if not - she'd have got away with it and someone would have picked the stuff up. Either way, I am not sure hundreds or thousands of people from all around the world taking time out of their day to call someone out for something so minuscule is a win? Blows my mind. What a pointless death.

I would recommend the excellent "So you've been publicly shamed" by Jon Ronson on this topic. If you don't fancy the full book, it's been abridged and serialised on BBC Sounds.

 

[pluk]

Yep, this sort of thing annoys me too. Of course it's incredibly sad if someone loses their life, but blaming that on others in this case appears to be attributing blame to the blameless. If you are unable to live with the foreseeable and reasonable consequences of shity behaviour don't behave shitily.

 

[Rick]

Yep, this sort of thing annoys me too. Of course it's incredibly sad if someone loses their life, but blaming that on others in this case appears to be attributing blame to the blameless. If you are unable to live with the foreseeable and reasonable consequences of ****y behaviour don't behave ****ily.

Would you support non-digital public humiliation for the same 'crime'? All feels a bit regressive ...

 

[pluk]

Would you support non-digital public humiliation for the same 'crime'? All feels a bit regressive ...

Great pic, but imprisonment and physical assault is not really comparable to saying something quite fair and reasonable about the poor actions of someone is it? Whether it's online or in real life, the calling out of littering is a great thing as far as I'm concerned. Don't like it, don't litter. I know I don't.

 

[Skyscraper]

Great pic, but imprisonment and physical assault is not really comparable to saying something quite fair and reasonable about the poor actions of someone is it? Whether it's online or in real life, the calling out of littering is a great thing as far as I'm concerned. Don't like it, don't litter. I know I don't.

The thing is though, we don't know the circumstances around the littering incident, so can't judge. I might be a little biased as I have a lot of respect for ambulance and other emergency services staff, and I watch a lot of documentaries following their work too. Plus, it's posible that she was carrying mental baggage (so-to-speak) frrom her work on the frontline, which could've been a factor.

 

[Rick]

Great pic, but imprisonment and physical assault is not really comparable to saying something quite fair and reasonable about the poor actions of someone is it? Whether it's online or in real life, the calling out of littering is a great thing as far as I'm concerned. Don't like it, don't litter. I know I don't.

The stocks are symbolic, not literal. We at one point decided that shaming people wasn't really on and left it to the gutter press to do it on our behalf. With the advancement of technology, we've now gone full circle and it's now welcomed and encouraged once again - but on a far grander international scale with the potential for much greater effect than a rotting tomato to the forehead.

I don't litter either, but equally I don't relish the idea of shaming someone I don't know who has done, in another country for doing so. I just don't get it.

Like I say, I'm not averse to having a slanging match with someone in the street who chucks litter in my garden (before they stab me, probably) - but the desire to film them doing it from behind the curtain and stick it online to bring them down ... that's all a bit pernicious for my liking.

If it's good enough for adults ... It's no wonder playground bullying has now gone online where it's anonymous and doubly damaging.

 

[Skyscraper]

Like I say, I'm not averse to having a slanging match with someone in the street who chucks litter in my garden (before they stab me, probably) - but the desire to film them doing it from behind the curtain and stick it online to bring them down ... that's all a bit pernicious for my liking.

I completely agree. The thought of someone filming someone else doing something they don't like and sticking it online purely in order to get them sacked and such sickens me.
It's just like Matt Hancock- someone purposely and deliberately leaked the (infamous) footage online to get him sacked.