Terry Sarten: Facebook against bullying except when posts mean clicks

BEHIND YOU: Bullying - now subject to the ethical management of Facebook staff.

SOCIAL media is now taking over the management of ethics and morals from mere mortals.

Information has come out from Facebook that shows how it is now becoming the de facto arbiters of social conduct.

Facebook is seeing an escalation in self-harm live-streaming with 5016 over a two-week period rising to 5431 in the next.

It now has a process for managing these but it seems they have taken over the role that should be played by communities around children and young people.

Is this because community connections are failing, creating a vacuum that is being filled by corporate interests?

If so, this is a critical shift.

The dominance of a multi-national that earns more than the economy of a small nation in the social dynamic of people's lives is a concern.

Leaked documents show Facebook will allow users to live-stream attempts to self-harm because it "doesn't want to censor or punish people in distress who are attempting suicide", noting that footage will be removed "once there's no longer an opportunity to help the person" - unless the incident is particularly "newsworthy".

Since when has the streaming of a person attempting suicide been demeaned to being "newsworthy"? I think this stance betrays the business model " a suicide attempt will be viewed by millions representing huge numbers of potential customers for their advertising content.

Of course, using the term "newsworthy" does show it is, in fact, a news medium and should therefore adhere to the same media rules as those that govern mainstream media outlets.

Facebook has now decided to ban posting images that mock people with disabilities but, apparently, will allow the "sharing of footage of physical bullying of children under seven, as long as there is no caption".

Is the thinking here that being bullied when you are a child is somehow a different thing than when a teenager or adult is the subject? This does not make sense.

Posting any element of bullying should be banned and taken down as it only serves to bring more into the bully's circle.

I have a theory about how bullying functions based in training plus experience gained when working with schools.

Admittedly this was in the pre-internet and smartphone era but, nevertheless, I think the change in technology has not changed the behaviour.

This theory is that around 80 per cent of bullying is by people who simply do it because they can - as long as it remains a secret. Once you introduce the idea that the community - classmates or workmates, teachers or managers - will actively intervene, then casual bullying of the "because we can" variety will diminish.

The environment is also a factor.

If there are particular dynamics or settings in which bullying occurs then these can be changed so that any such behaviour is more likely to be seen by others.

This, in turn, creates more energy and resources that can be directed towards the remaining 20 per cent where bullying is based in dysfunction.

Society can step up and take on the issues but we should also demand a greater level of responsibility from social media platforms.

It could be as simple as apps and other social media being legally compelled to only accept named posts thus removing the cover of anonymity.

Yesterday was Pink Shirt Day - a day which serves as a reminder that bullying, whether in the playground, workplace or sportsfield, can be stopped if those affected tell someone so it is no longer a secret.

Tel (aka Terry Sarten) is a writer, musician and social worker - feedback: tgs@inspire.net.nz