social media

I like boards its entertaining and for the different view points and on occasion it has made me view an issue from different perspective.

When trolls using social media have been caught and prosecuted for any number of hate filled rants, UK an the US don't know of any prosecutions in Ireland, they have often been found to be suffering from mental ill health or anxiety and depression, so my question is should it be a consideration if someone does something when they are suffering mental health issues? or should their mental health not matter, could you bar someone from the internet and social media as a sanction?, has social media become a coping mechanism for some people a way of venting their rage and frustration about life.

If someone acts uncharacteristically because they are unwell, then that should be taken into account.

I wouldn't underestimate the ability of some people to be complete a-holes for no particular reason though, some people are just unpleasant for no reason.

Candie

Candie wrote: »

If someone acts uncharacteristically because they are unwell, then that should be taken into account.

I wouldn't underestimate the ability of some people to be complete a-holes for no particular reason though, some people are just unpleasant for no reason.

Well if they are nasty for no reason all the more reason to be bared from social media.

Brian from Bray

mariaalice wrote: »

Well if they are nasty for no reason all the more reason to be bared from social media.

How can you ban a person from using social media though ?

MarkAnthony

Brian from Bray wrote: »

How can you ban a person from using social media though ?

Same way you ban someone from driving, doesn't mean it will be effective though.

Potatoeman

mariaalice wrote: »

Well if they are nasty for no reason all the more reason to be bared from social media.

Report or block them. Don't see why police are needed for this unless it's a death threat.

For Forks Sake

Brian from Bray wrote: »

How can you ban a person from using social media though ?

A judge up north imposed one on Willie Frazer, fairly sure the daft hoore paid no heed to it.

http://m.rte.ie/news/2013/0307/374640-willie-frazer-court/

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Anyone who embarks on serious trolling has mental problems.

Punish them for what they did but also get them help at the sametime. Otherwise, you're just going to make the problem worse.

kneemos

Candie wrote: »

If someone acts uncharacteristically because they are unwell, then that should be taken into account.

I wouldn't underestimate the ability of some people to be complete a-holes for no particular reason though, some people are just unpleasant for no reason.

You're so reasonable you've contradicted yourself.

Is there anything worse than reasonableness?
Have a bleedin opinion for Christs sake

So its alight for someone to say they don't really hate women or gay people, its jsut something they focus on when they are not well and the rest of the time they are lovely people.

kneemos

kneemos wrote: »

You're so reasonable you've contradicted yourself.

Is there anything worse than reasonableness?
Have a bleedin opinion for Christs sake

How have I contradicted myself? Some people are unpleasant because they're unwell and it's a symptom of other issues. And some people are just unpleasant because that's the way they are. Motivation is different in each case, even if the unpleasantness is the same. That's not hard to understand, is it?

The world could use more reasonableness.

mariaalice

mariaalice wrote: »

So its alight for someone to say they don't really hate women or gay people, its something they focus on when they are not well and the rest of the time they are lovely people.

Who said that was alright? I thought we were examining peoples motives here, no?

starling

I don't really understand what it is you're asking/saying OP. Is the question "should trolling be against the law?" Or "should people be treated more leniently if they commit crimes and are mentally ill?"

I think people should be prosecuted for using vague thread titles like "social media"

strelok

Potatoeman wrote: »

Report or block them. Don't see why police are needed for this unless it's a death threat.

because feelings

Candie

Candie wrote: »

Who said that was alright? I thought we were examining peoples motives here, no?

Yes true but some people seem to thing its minor issue instead of realising that no matter what the motivation either actual hatred of woman or gay people for example or if they only have the motivation when unwell they are still contributing to a climate of hate towards certain groups.

osarusan

mariaalice wrote: »

Yes true but some people seem to thing its minor issue instead of realising that no matter what the motivation either actual hatred of woman or gay people for example or if they only have the motivation when unwell they are still contributing to a climate of hate towards certain groups.

You seem to be answering your own question from the OP here.

mariaalice

mariaalice wrote: »

Yes true but some people seem to thing its minor issue instead of realising that no matter what the motivation either actual hatred of woman or gay people for example or if they only have the motivation when unwell they are still contributing to a climate of hate towards certain groups.

Can't make head nor tail of most of that post.

starling

I'm still trying to understand post #1

kneemos

mariaalice wrote: »

Yes true but some people seem to thing its minor issue instead of realising that no matter what the motivation either actual hatred of woman or gay people for example or if they only have the motivation when unwell they are still contributing to a climate of hate towards certain groups.

So you want to add ill people to the list of persecuted on the web?

kneemos

kneemos wrote: »

So you want to add ill people to the list of persecuted on the web?

There was a prosecution in the UK because a female academic was targeted in social media even to the point of death threats, now when the trolls were caught it turned out that one was mentally unwell and a heavy user of social media and appeared to be motivated by getting likes on social media. Reading about the case got my thinking about the use of social media and mental ill health and how much the mentaly unwell person is responsible for their actions.

starling

mariaalice wrote: »

There was a prosecution in the UK because a female academic was targeted in social media even to the point of death threats, now when the trolls were caught it turned out that one was mentally unwell and a heavy user of social media and appeared to be motivated by getting likes on social media. Reading about the case got my thinking about the use of social media and mental ill health and how much the mentaly unwell person is responsible for their actions.

If you mean Caroline Criado Perez, those guys were grade A d1cks and "mental illness" was really just an excuse for the benefit of the judge IMO. When a criminal is prosecuted their circumstances are taken into account, whether social media is involved or not you'll find a lot of defendants looking for excuses for their crimes, it's up to the courts to decide how much personal responsibility each defendant bears on a case-by-case basis.