It’s incredible to think that until recently, a standard progressive position was that harassing teenagers on the internet was one of society’s greater ills (and that compiling anonymous lists of thought criminals was a practice best left in the McCarthy era.) Consider the 2009 case of Jessica Logan, who committed suicide after an ex-boyfriend sent nude photos of her to multiple other people, who in turn spent months shaming and harassing her. The case was a major flashpoint in the public crusade against online bullying, including earnest arguments that those who took part in the slut-shaming should be held liable for Jessica’s death. But a decade later, the ruination of people, even very young people, who make offensive or ill-advised choices in their digital lives isn’t just sanctioned by tastemakers, it’s something of a spectator sport.
As for the not-so-young woman at the center of the Post story, Sue Schafer was not just humiliated a second time over but fired from her job as a result of the story. We may be encouraged that generally speaking, and particularly in the WaPo comments section, an overwhelming consensus has emerged that this should never have been news at all. But not only is the damage done, it’s likely to continue as long as members of the media insist on framing these takedowns as brave rebellions against the status quo and applauding the petty tyrants who lead them as noble revolutionaries. There is the important work of making social change, and then there is cruelty for cruelty’s sake. Kids don’t always know the difference, but we should.
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