Shocking yet true, almost one in every ten children indulging in social media based activities actually end up as victims of cyber-bullying. And, more surprisingly, fellow users who might be witnessing such bullying choose to remain silent! Primarily, most of them aren’t exactly aware of what cyber-bullying actually is and what the associated dangers could be. So, naïve youngsters continue to fall prey to calculated efforts of sick minds without even realizing that they are in fact being made victims of cyber-bullying.
SUBMIT: The Documentary Initiative
Keeping in mind this lack of awareness, a documentary has been shot as a constructive effort in spreading awareness about the gruesome reality of cyber-bullying and how they affect youngsters through social networking platforms. The documentary has been produced by Ashley Reid from Plat4M Studios LLC and Les Ottolenghi. The content has been directed by Muta Ali Muhammad and the film shares real stories of children and their families who have been affected by cyber-bullying.
Apart from social media based incidences, those related to cyber bullying through texting or usage of other digital channels have also been covered in this documentary. Along with narrating real life incidences, the documentary also contains testimonials provided by those that have been subjected to cyber bullying. In addition, it also showcases expert-speak on how to educate counselors, teachers, parents and even bystanders for helping young victims of cyber bullying.
The Inspiration
The inspiration of coming up with such a documentary film was drawn from real life instances. Les Ottolenghi, one of the producers, once happened to watch a case on local news that showcased the plight of an 11-year-old boy who had been bullied and then forced to commit suicide. Being a parent himself, Les found this particularly disturbing! After all, considering the growing presence of social media, this could happen to anyone anytime!
Les thought it was essential to make a film for generating awareness about cyber bullying so that powerful technologies could be used for good things and not for harming others. The basic aim of making the film was to transform inactive bystanders to informed defenders.
The Impact
As expected, the response towards the film has been phenomenal. As many as 80 private screenings have already been requested by prominent schools across Canada and America as well as from imminent youth organizations like the PLUS Program in California. And needless to mention, thousands of innocent teenagers and youngsters are slated to benefit from it!
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