Teen Suicide From MySpace

[Kathianne]

This pisses me off so much, I think the mom should have nixed the MySpace for a 13 year old, but the real problem is who did this to the girl. It wasn't a 'boy.'...

http://suburbanjournals.stltoday.com/articles/2007/11/13/news/sj2tn20071110-1111stc_pokin_1.ii1.txt


'My Space' hoax ends with suicide of Dardenne Prairie teen

By Steve Pokin
Tuesday, November 13, 2007 9:08 AM CST

His name was Josh Evans. He was 16 years old. And he was hot.

"Mom! Mom! Mom! Look at him!" Tina Meier recalls her daughter saying.

Josh had contacted Megan Meier through her MySpace page and wanted to be added as a friend.

Yes, he's cute, Tina Meier told her daughter. "Do you know who he is?"

"No, but look at him! He's hot! Please, please, can I add him?"

Mom said yes. And for six weeks Megan and Josh - under Tina's watchful eye - became acquainted in the virtual world of MySpace...

[jackass]

That is really really twisted! I cant even imagine a grown adult doing that to ANY child, yet alone one they know! What the hell is wrong with people nowadays?

[Kathianne]

That is really really twisted! I cant even imagine a grown adult doing that to ANY child, yet alone one they know! What the hell is wrong with people nowadays?

Yep, this is one area where laws should be written. Seems to me the onus shouldn't be on the internet site, rather the individuals. In this case, adults knowingly doing wrong.

[hjmick]

That is some seriously twisted shit.

[Hagbard Celine]

Myspace is lame. Join facebook instead.

[jackass]

Myspace is lame. Join facebook instead.

Thats what you got out of the story?? YOURE lame....

[dan]

It's got hardly anything to do with Myspace, though, judging from the article, the girl was just as likely to do this if people made fun of her at school.

But, that said, yeah, I think this shows that the internet is a scary place and that parents need to take every precaution possible. The parents that did this have the death of a 13-year-old on their hands for the rest of their lives. That's good, but I'd be just as satisfied seeing all of them strung up just like this little girl.

[Kathianne]

It's got hardly anything to do with Myspace, though, judging from the article, the girl was just as likely to do this if people made fun of her at school.

How did you come to that conclusion? :shocked:

[Hagbard Celine]

Thats what you got out of the story?? YOURE lame....

Nope, what I got out of the story is that somebody willing to kill themselves over a myspace page was disturbed way before this incident. But instead of saying something that I knew would inflame the sympathetics here I tried to turn it into a positive by giving some constructive advice. If you've nothing positive to say... You know the rest.

[LiberalNation]

Myspace isn't to blame for people killing themselves.

[Kathianne]

If you read the article or my earlier post, I never blamed MySpace. The culprits here were the ex-friends parents. Note too, the mother feels terrible guilt, I don't think she could have anticipated the other parents, but given her daughter's problems, should NOT have allowed a 13 year old to have opened the account. Parents do make mistakes, lots of them, seldom with this type of result.

[hjmick]

MySpace is not to blame. The way it was used by the adults and the adult themselves are to blame. Ultimately, the Megan Meier made a decision that changed the lives of everyone around her. A selfish decision, which is what suicide, in more cases than not is, a selfish act carried out by one person without thought as to how it will effect others. I wonder if her therapist was aware of just how deep her problems ran? It's obvious that her parents didn't.

This is an especially sad case because of the age of the person, all child suicide is especially sad. That this young girl felt she had no other choice pains me. It pains me as a human being and as a father. A father of three girls. The loss of anyone of them would be devastating, to lose one to their own hand would shatter my world. To then find that someone I considered my friend set into motion the events that resulted in the suicide, well, let's just say that they would be looking at more than a mutilated foosball table.

Make no mistake, Megan made the decision to end her life, but the parents of her estranged friend are certainly culpable, responsible, for steering her down that path.

I'll tell you this, my fifteen year old daughter will be reading this story. When she's done, we will be having a very long talk.

[dan]

How did you come to that conclusion? :shocked:

She was clearly emotionally fragile. And, what was done to her was something that is done to kids all the time at school. I can't tell you how many times I got fake notes from girls I liked, only to get laughed at when I actually took them seriously. If this girl went this far over a guy she'd never met before, she clearly had major problems.

[Hagbard Celine]

She was clearly emotionally fragile. And, what was done to her was something that is done to kids all the time at school. I can't tell you how many times I got fake notes from girls I liked, only to get laughed at when I actually took them seriously. If this girl went this far over a guy she'd never met before, she clearly had major problems.

Haha, Jesus that's NEVER happened to me. Where did you go to school? Hell?

[Kathianne]

She was clearly emotionally fragile. And, what was done to her was something that is done to kids all the time at school. I can't tell you how many times I got fake notes from girls I liked, only to get laughed at when I actually took them seriously. If this girl went this far over a guy she'd never met before, she clearly had major problems.

Ah, but wasn't a guy, it was a 'guy' created by parents of an ex-friend, who were aware of her vunerabilities.

[mrg666]

Myspace isn't to blame for people killing themselves.

in this instance it was used as a tool , by adults who lulled her into a false friendship.
A kid could well be forgiven (they know no better ) but adults......................

:pee:

[dan]

Haha, Jesus that's NEVER happened to me. Where did you go to school? Hell?

Well, excuse me, there, John Tucker, didn't realize you were such a stud in high school!

Nah, I went to a very small private school, I was the kid whose parents didn't have a lot of money, when we all got our licenses at age 15, one of my friends got a Porche, one got a Lexus, and I got my parents' old station wagon. Which, of course, was the much smarter thing to give a 15-year-old who just got their license. So, yeah, lots of stuck-up bitches at my school. But, now, I get to go back to the town I went to school in and see all those same girls still living there, some married, some on coke, etc. Good times!

[dan]

Ah, but wasn't a guy, it was a 'guy' created by parents of an ex-friend, who were aware of her vunerabilities.

But, she never knew that. When she committed suicide, she still thought it was just a guy.

[Kathianne]

But, she never knew that. When she committed suicide, she still thought it was just a guy.

Do you think you could not manipulate a 13 year old? In fact, this is the same behavior of adults that when it involves tricking a child to meet someone, that is really a 40,50,60 year old pedophile.

[avatar4321]

I am alittle confused why the prosecutor couldn't have made an argument for premediated murder. I mean messing with what you know as a fagile teenagers mind and telling them to die seems to be a pretty strong case. After all there are cases where people mess with emotionally/mentally fagile people in order to goad them into murdering someone, and its still murder. i dont see how its much different here.

Atleast there seems to be a strong case for child abuse. after all abuse is more than just physical, its mental and emotional abuse as well. I can't imagine there isnt just something that can be done.

[jackass]

I dont think that Myspace is to blame at all. Its just a weapon (tool) and we ALL know that weapons dont kill people. People kill people.

[Yurt]

Yep, this is one area where laws should be written. Seems to me the onus shouldn't be on the internet site, rather the individuals. In this case, adults knowingly doing wrong.

Exactly. So if this happened in non-cyber space, can we sue....God....Uncle Sam....the neighborhood watch group?

Unfortunately, this conversation could have taken place anywhere, anytime and of course in non-cyberspace:


"I am so aggravated at you for doing this!" she told Megan.


Whether people like it or not, there is no "real" life and "internet" life. We can pretend on the net, but we can also pretend in real life. We can be assholes on the net and in real life. I just don't think many people are aware of what the internet and places like ...uh, whatever that place is called... are like. Kids should be taught about this just like being taught about the "real" playground.

[Kathianne]

Exactly. So if this happened in non-cyber space, can we sue....God....Uncle Sam....the neighborhood watch group?

Unfortunately, this conversation could have taken place anywhere, anytime and of course in non-cyberspace:




Whether people like it or not, there is no "real" life and "internet" life. We can pretend on the net, but we can also pretend in real life. We can be assholes on the net and in real life. I just don't think many people are aware of what the internet and places like ...uh, whatever that place is called... are like. Kids should be taught about this just like being taught about the "real" playground.

Actually I agree that meaness existed way before the internet, but it offers nuances not available before. Pictures, timedates, etc., adding a level of 'reality' as opposed to the 'mudshakes with poison berries' I made when I was 6 for a boy I didn't like. For some reason, he didn't buy into it. :shrug:

There is a reality to internet, that is really dangerous, especially to the most vunerable. Sure kids might have created the same scenario, but I doubt it, at 13. Seems the adults should be responsible, though the laws haven't caught up.

This was just sick, IMHO.

[Yurt]

Actually I agree that meaness existed way before the internet, but it offers nuances not available before. Pictures, timedates, etc., adding a level of 'reality' as opposed to the 'mudshakes with poison berries' I made when I was 6 for a boy I didn't like. For some reason, he didn't buy into it. :shrug:

There is a reality to internet, that is really dangerous, especially to the most vunerable. Sure kids might have created the same scenario, but I doubt it, at 13. Seems the adults should be responsible, though the laws haven't caught up.

This was just sick, IMHO.

hmm, what exactly do you mean? one can always turn off the "net/screen..." but not real life bullying or meanness.

[Kathianne]

hmm, what exactly do you mean? one can always turn off the "net/screen..." but not real life bullying or meanness.

Actually I think it easier for kids to walk away from kids in person, then they go home. Online is often without parents or peers. There is a feeling that you have to answer the latest 'throw down'. It happens with 'mature adults', I'll assume more difficult for kids, especially fragile ones.

[Yurt]

Actually I think it easier for kids to walk away from kids in person, then they go home. Online is often without parents or peers. There is a feeling that you have to answer the latest 'throw down'. It happens with 'mature adults', I'll assume more difficult for kids, especially fragile ones.

walking away in real life is hard, you "have" to face them again the next day. you don't "have" to go to that site or even turn the computer on.

i guess i just don't understand.

[Kathianne]

walking away in real life is hard, you "have" to face them again the next day. you don't "have" to go to that site or even turn the computer on.

i guess i just don't understand.

She 'knew' these were 'kids', (yeah, they weren't they were adults, but she didn't know), at her school. They were spreading slut, etc. They wanted her to die. (Again, remember, they were adults that knew her past history).

In real life, kids are mean. She may have left in tears from similar taunts, but had the time to walk home. Or had to get in Mom's car. Time to decompress, time for someone to notice.

[Yurt]

She 'knew' these were 'kids', (yeah, they weren't they were adults, but she didn't know), at her school. They were spreading slut, etc. They wanted her to die. (Again, remember, they were adults that knew her past history).

In real life, kids are mean. She may have left in tears from similar taunts, but had the time to walk home. Or had to get in Mom's car. Time to decompress, time for someone to notice.

I admit, I did not read the part about they were adults.

This actually makes me more convinced that we need to educate our kids about the net. It is not "fake"

[dan]

Do you think you could not manipulate a 13 year old? In fact, this is the same behavior of adults that when it involves tricking a child to meet someone, that is really a 40,50,60 year old pedophile.

Yes, and often these kids end up with these pedophiles because they're looking for something that is missing from his/her life. This girl clearly had problems, who's to say that this wouldn't have happened anyway? Obviously, I hold the parents personally responsible, the parents who created the fake name I mean, but it's a little naive to think that this girl was living a perfect life until this happened.

[Kathianne]

Yes, and often these kids end up with these pedophiles because they're looking for something that is missing from his/her life. This girl clearly had problems, who's to say that this wouldn't have happened anyway? Obviously, I hold the parents personally responsible, the parents who created the fake name I mean, but it's a little naive to think that this girl was living a perfect life until this happened.

and who said she was?

[Guernicaa]

I've seen tons of fake myspaces made about people.
Even teachers.

One was of a spanish teacher at my high school. It was really fucked up.
Made fun of everything about her, said she had no friends, said she had never seen dick in her life, and just degraded her beyond belief.

And there were about 20 different cell phone pictures from in the classroom.

[Kathianne]

I've seen tons of fake myspaces made about people.
Even teachers.

One was of a spanish teacher at my high school. It was really fucked up.
Made fun of everything about her, said she had no friends, said she had never seen dick in her life, and just degraded her beyond belief.

And there were about 20 different cell phone pictures from in the classroom.
If someone did such to me, I think I could handle it. Then again I'm not 13 vs 30 or 40 some year olds. I'm not dependent on my parents to protect me from my own stupidity or vunerabilities. Thankfully if I was, my parents would never allow me to do the MySpace, but that is secondary.

[Yurt]

I've seen tons of fake myspaces made about people.
Even teachers.

One was of a spanish teacher at my high school. It was really fucked up.
Made fun of everything about her, said she had no friends, said she had never seen dick in her life, and just degraded her beyond belief.

And there were about 20 different cell phone pictures from in the classroom.

Bet you if they had called her a conservative you would call for the internet to be shutdown

[Pale Rider]

I've seen tons of fake myspaces made about people.
Even teachers.

One was of a spanish teacher at my high school. It was really fucked up.
Made fun of everything about her, said she had no friends, said she had never seen dick in her life, and just degraded her beyond belief.

And there were about 20 different cell phone pictures from in the classroom.

If I'm not mistaken, that's called defamation of character. Once you falsely degrade someone in public, in print, that's against the law if what was said is a misrepresentation, or better known as a lie.

Am I wrong?

[Yurt]

If I'm not mistaken, that's called defamation of character. Once you falsely degrade someone in public, in print, that's against the law if what was said is a misrepresentation, or better known as a lie.

Am I wrong?

pretty much. can be words, slander or libel, print.....