[originaltext] The internet has created a whole new world of social communi

The internet has created a whole new world of social communications for young people who are using e-mail, websites, instant messaging, chat rooms and text messaging to stay in touch with friends and make new ones. While  most interactions are positive, increasingly kids are using these communication’s tools to intimidate others. This has become known as cyber bullying. Nancy Willard of the Responsible Netizen Institute explains that technology can also affect a young person’s ethical behavior because it doesn’t provide tangible feedback about the consequences of the actions on others. This lack of feedback minimizes feelings of empathy or remorse. Young people say things online that they would never say face-to-face because they feel removed from the action and the person at the receiving end. There are several ways that young people bully others online. They send e-mail or instant messages containing insults or threats directly to a person. They may also spread hateful comments about a person through e-mail, instant messaging or posting on websites and online diaries. An increasing number of kids are being bullied by text messages through their cell phones. When real-world bullying occurs in a schoolyard or classroom, teachers are often able to intervene, but online bullying takes place off the radar screen of adults, making it difficult to detect in schools and impossible to monitor off school property.