Now we live in maelstrom of information and images, an invisible firestorm moving between us at the speed of light. Sparks, like neurons firing, ignite and transform us. The coursing flame brings light, even liberation, into the darkness. Communities gather around its glow. But truth is often incinerated, and our time and tranquility burned. Like an inexorably growing multitude of others, I am a cyberstalking survivor, so I can also speak to the blinding shadows cast by our new global behemoth.
The devastating consequences of cyberbullying for teens is finally coming to light. Legislators are considering how to author legislation that doesn’t muzzle protected speech and has real efficacy in putting an end to humiliating and horrifying online attacks. We must also turn out attention impact of cyberstalking on adults. In the United States the First Amendment, Freedom of Speech, is integral to our democracy; However, it has also become a twisted and conceptually unintended defense for internet bullies. The web has over-stretched existing laws which are arguably effectively overseeing printed speech in the "real" world. The legal options for cyberstalking victims are woefully inadequate to manage the scourge of bullying by those who abuse and pervert the best technology has to offer.
Following is a 4 minute trailer to a documentary in production about the horror and lack of legislative protections for adult victims of cyberstalking:
