Cyberbullying VS Light-Hearted Prank (1 Viewer)

Vassago · Dec 7, 2012

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-207_162-57557775/nurse-in-duchess-kate-hoax-dead-in-apparent-suicide/

I'm sure everyone has heard about the prank phone call made to the hospital where the two djs were pretending to be royal family members to get through to her ward. It seems now one of the nurses involved with transferring the call through has committed suicide. Many people are taking it upon themselves to attack the djs and the radio station involved with the prank, blaming them for her death. I have to disagree on this one. This girl obviously had some serious mental health issues going on, probably long before this. They didn't attack her personally in any way. The hospital didn't blame her for what happened and neither did the royal family. She wasn't in any trouble over the incident. So, how could this prank have caused her to become so depressed she commits suicide? I highly doubt it.

What do you guys think? Was this a case of cyber-bullying or just a simple prank that didn't contribute much at all to her suicide? With laws being passed to prevent cyber-bullying, I fear what level the laws will go to. Where is the line between bullying and light-hearted fun? Will everyone who posts a simple prank phone call soon be a felon?

ColinEssex · Dec 7, 2012

Vassago said:
This girl obviously had some serious mental health issues going on, probably long before this.

Gosh, another American moderator on these forums qualified in psychiatry and able to diagnose from 3000 odd miles away.

Anyway, the nurse obviously realised the huge responsibility and trust that she was afforded had been destroyed as she had given details of a patient to a crank caller.

Sadly the patient in this case is probably the most famous woman in the world. She had let down the NHS, the hospital and the royal family, it was obviously too much for her.

Col

Thales750 · Dec 7, 2012

Refreshing as usual Col.

I find it impossible to listen to the crap on morning radio anymore. It completely interferes with rational planning or thinking. Not to mention it is without taste or value.

I suggest NPR, for anyone interested in intelligent commentary.

nanscombe · Dec 7, 2012

Nothing to with with loads of media coverage and people on social media and newspaper forums saying she should be sacked then?

Vassago · Dec 7, 2012

Davep said:
Gosh, another American moderator on these forums qualified in psychiatry and able to diagnose from 3000 odd miles away.

Of course! Not unlike your expert long-distance status on American values, culture, economics, and government. I also have degrees in long-distance dentistry and prehistoric taxidermy.

nanscombe · Dec 8, 2012

Davep said:
Anyway, the nurse obviously realised the huge responsibility and trust that she was afforded had been destroyed as she had given details of a patient to a crank caller.

Sadly the patient in this case is probably the most famous woman in the world. She had let down the NHS, the hospital and the royal family, it was obviously too much for her.

This was the Uk, not feudal Japan, we don't have a culture which encourages ritual suicide because of failure or loss of face.

On the other hand, it could turn out that she died due to a massive heart attack / stroke brought on by the stress of all the hatred poured out in the media.

Galaxiom · Dec 8, 2012

One thing that pranksters of all kinds never have the slightest idea about is the vulnerability of other people. They are invariably brimming with self confidence and utterly devoid of any concept of what it might be like for a person of a different nature and experience.

They undertake their lives at a superficial level and have absolutely no idea that others have to deal with self doubt and a deep sense of worthlessness.

Unfortunately, unless you have been in that space you won't comprehend what I am talking about.

nanscombe · Dec 8, 2012

Galaxiom said:
One thing that pranksters of all kinds never have the slightest idea about is the vulnerability of other people. They are invariably brimming with self confidence and utterly devoid of any concept of what it might be like for a person of a different nature and experience.

Alas, that could apply to we "The judge and jury" on internet forums and social media too.

ColinEssex · Dec 8, 2012

Vassago said:
Of course! Not unlike your expert long-distance status on American values, culture, economics, and government. I also have degrees in long-distance dentistry and prehistoric taxidermy.

With the amount of American trash we see in films, on TV, on the news and in the papers who needs to go to gunslinging America?
We all know what it's like, the people are clinically obese, the food is all fat, you can't walk anywhere without being mugged or shot, the cars are 8 cylinder gas guzzlers and war is worshipped even by Obama.

Col

dan-cat · Dec 8, 2012

I am sometimes amazed at how intelligent people can arrange their priorities in such a skewed manner.

How can the upholding of deceitful and infantile behavior be of greater importance than sympathy towards an individual who was so distressed that she took her own life?

What is so worthy of this behavior that warrants conjecture to justify it? What exactly are they defending in preference to not considering that poor lady's humiliation and her inability to cope with it?

It's a terribly sad story and my concerns are for her family not for the welfare of a puerile joke.

nanscombe · Dec 8, 2012

Duchess of Cambridge pregnant: edited transcript of hoax call made by radio station

Hospital: Hello Good morning.
Mel Greig, pretending to be the Queen: Oh Hello there, could I please speak to Kate, my granddaughter?
Hospital: Oh yes, just hold on a moment
Michael Christian: Are they putting us through?

The bit in bold is the sum total of what the dead nurse said. The rest of the conversation was between another nurse, who is still alive, and the pranksters.

Just how is that short, unmemorable conversation supposed to make you suicidal?

It would be more likely to be caused by having your conversation repeatedly splashed over the News and media.

dan-cat · Dec 8, 2012

nanscombe said:
It would be more likely to be caused by having your conversation repeatedly splashed over the News and media.

Well let's see now. Do you think it possible that they may have called one of the most famous women in the world in the hope of this coming to fruition?

Or am I being overly cynical in thinking that a couple of overtly dimwitted reprobates were looking to make a name for themselves regardless of the consequences?

nanscombe · Dec 8, 2012

I think you should be more cynical about someone committing suicide over a conversation that consisted of saying "Hang on, just a moment" and transferring a phone call.

dan-cat · Dec 8, 2012

nanscombe said:
I think you should be more cynical about someone committing suicide over a conversation that consisted of saying "Hang on, just a moment" and transferring a phone call.

An opinion symptomatic of a society sick with the demands to be "free" to behave reprehensibly to one another. Look anywhere for the cause but our own actions, yes?

Legally no. You should be quite interested to know that the law takes a different view. Link, but then it is an attempt to preserve empathy as a vital ingredient of society. An ingredient which is being strongly resisted by its members.

Thales750 · Dec 9, 2012

Hence my earlier rage against Morning DJs.

This is a sad testimony

RainLover · Dec 9, 2012

How terribly sad.
Here we have a Nurse working in a Hospital with all those Doctors and Nurses around her yet not one was able to see that this poor woman was suffering such a high degree of depression that lead her to take her own life.
This is the same hospital charged with the care of a future Queen of England and her unborn child who may one day become the King of England.

nanscombe · Dec 9, 2012

dan-cat said:
An opinion symptomatic of a society sick with the demands to be "free" to behave reprehensibly to one another. Look anywhere for the cause but our own actions, yes?

An opinion of the media can do no wrong.

Now which would you say, on the balance of probability, be more distressing?

A phone call saying "Can you put me through to someone".

Or

Being the subject of half-hourly news bulletins on the radio saying "Nurse caused security breach" followed up by TV news items and headlines in newspapers.

More likely symptomatic of a society sick with the demands 24/7 news coverage and celebrity gossip.

Look anywhere for the cause but our own actions, yes? <- yes, where the media is concerned.

RainLover · Dec 9, 2012

This has now been brought to the Attention of the Australian Police by the English Police. I think this is a formal thing to do with international rules/agreements.

Meanwhile the two presenters have been taken to an unknown location under 24 hour watch. They also have no access to news of any sort. Apparently they are overcome by their actions and subsequent events.
The Radio station they work for has ceased all advertisements due to some sponsor's withdrawals and other reasons.

The actions of the Presenters could be illegal as it is a requirement that before recording and or transmitting a telephone call all parties must be made aware and permission given.

nanscombe · Dec 9, 2012

I'm sure people will hate this because it was a prank by a "radio station", who should know better, but this could just as easily have been a pair of teenager making a hoax call and posting the result on YouTube.

RainLover said:
The actions of the Presenters could be illegal as it is a requirement that before recording and or transmitting a telephone call all parties must be made aware and permission given.

It could prove interesting trying to make that stick.

Did either of the presenters actually dial the number?
Did either of the presenters actually record the conversation?
Did either of the presenters actually decide to transmit the recording?
Did either of the presenters actually transmit the recording?
Is it illegal to take part in a recorded telephone conversation without the other parties permission?

There might be a few engineers and producers in trouble. But then again being employees wouldn't it just be the radio station in strife?

RainLover · Dec 9, 2012

nanscombe said:
I'm sure people will hate this because it was a prank by a "radio station", who should know better, but this could just as easily have been a pair of teenager making a hoax call and posting the result on YouTube.

It could prove interesting trying to make that stick.

Did either of the presenters actually dial the number?
Did either of the presenters actually record the conversation?
Did either of the presenters actually decide to transmit the recording?
Did either of the presenters actually transmit the recording?
Is it illegal to take part in a recorded telephone conversation without the other parties permission?

There might be a few engineers and producers in trouble. But then again being employees wouldn't it just be the radio station in strife?

Charges have been made against presenters before and they have been found guilty.
One was jailed just last year and others have received serious fines and restrictions on the way they broadcast.

This has nothing to do with a teenager. Why bring it up.

One thing that does offend me is that the English Tabloids are condemning this.
Talk about the Kettle calling the Tea Pot Black.

Cyberbullying VS Light-Hearted Prank (1 Viewer)

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