To think that those that bully online should have restrictions to social media?

[Shiningstar80]

I know this would be hard to do but I’m just shocked at how cruel some people can be. You I don’t know what is going on in someone’s life and one nasty comment could push them over the edge. People who are responsible for causing this in my opinion should be banned from ever having access to social media

How would you handle people who bully in real life then?

I suppose it is subjective though. Sometimes posters on here cry 'bullying' when it is nothing of the sort.

And how many hours would be needed to trace them, ban them, and enforce the ban. How would you prevent them from accessing social media on any device, even sm that isn't in use yet? Feels like it's a pointless punishment if everyone knows it can't be enforced.

But how would that work?

Who judges what is bullying? Who enforces it?

Not sure but there have been too many cases that have ended in death

Well this is a ridiculous suggestion.

Would that comment get me a bully ban from social media? As you say it’s one comment that could push someone over.

I think that if someone is that suggestible to online bullying then they should not be on Social Media to begin with. Most people can and do walk away when they’ve had enough or something hits them hard.

Yeah I see it would be extrêmes difficult but maybe having the risk of it could be a deterrent ? It just crossed my mind as I was reading up on a case in the USA. It’s so sad

I believe some online trolls have been prosecuted.

So many times on MN when a wife is complaining about her husband and she says he has mental health issues, the replies tend to go along the lines of 'he's responsible for his own mental health and should seek help'.

I think if people are so bothered by online replies they should do the same. Simply making a comment on a thread that someone else doesn't agree with doesn't equate bullying.

Im not that ridiculous to think that any word could be accused of bullying. I’m talking about very obvious cases. If there is evidence of it then those that can’t control themselves and what they type shouldn’t be allowed to have social media.
i don’t think it’s ridiculous as you say if it prevents both adults and children from having abuse hurled at them.

Yes, usually for making death threats or racially abusive remarks or the like. A 'nasty comment' isn’t necessarily that, and is highly subjective

But I’m not referring to just some nasty comments, I mean actual abuse etc.

Some of it is pretty subjective though. Personally I don’t think calling Nigel Farage a dick on Twitter under a post is bullying.

We'd lose 90% of Mumsnet posters if that were the case.

Ok well it wasn’t clear from your OP exactly what you meant.

Yeah they have. I don’t mean if someone is just sensitive but real obvious abuse

That’s not bullying, that’s stating facts 😂

It is 😆 but he may say he’s bullied! I imagine he gets it a lot!

Very true! Actually I saw a thread yesterday and one particular person was literally harassing the OP and saying things about her dead dad. Some people are sick

I realise I didn’t word it properly 😂

Not necessarily some have been prosecuted for online stalking and harassment. I doubt the OP is talking about a single nasty comment. Bullying is categorised as repeated behaviour. I also think you can get prosecuted for being part of mobbing.

That’s just it though… adults surely have agency to step away from SM if this is happening. And parents have the responsibility for both teaching the same and enforcing it for their children.

Online harassment can and has been punished by law. So there is already a mechanism. Hurty words by some rando on the internet should be treated the same as hurty words said in public. I mean the police and courts don’t ban people from public spaces do they? Individual places can ban people just like SM sites can.

There are laws around cybercrime, stalking, harassment, malicious communications, etc. These have specific definitions and criteria.

Someone being a bit mean cannot be legislated against.

Yes agree with all of this. It’s definitely a pattern of behaviour in addition, I was more focussing on the OP talking about one nasty comment pushing someone over the edge, bur they’ve clarified now

Practically impossible and like PPs have said it’s quite hard to draw the line.

I don’t ever want to live in a world where calling Nigel Farage a dick is against the law.

But I know why you’re probably feeling this way because all you have to do is scroll down on Twitter and the comments are absolutely vile.

Who would be the arbitrator of what is bullying and what is not?
You may not feel that calling Nigel Farage a dick on social media is bullying but he may disagree. Who gets to decide? And why is being abusive towards one person acceptable, but not somebody else?

I do think he is a dick tho.