Committed slander or calumny? (Telling lies about another person in order to destroy his reputation.) Committed libel? (Writing lies about another person in order to destroy his reputation.)
Which of these actions are most prevalent in the 21st century and why? What role does social media play with this?
I believe that committing libel, writing lies about others, is much more prevalent in the 21st century today. I don’t have a Facebook, or a MySpace, or a twitter account. However, I have seen libel first hand and know that it is a very prevalent sin throughout the world today. People find it easier to write lies, whether it is through social media or hand written, then it is to say lies. It is much easier to destroy someone’s reputation by writing about them rather than talking about them. By writing, less responsibility is taken from the sin. When in reality both sins are equal in severity. Social media has played a huge role in how it plays into this. With social media prevailing in society today, more opportunity is left for libel and less is taken away from slander. I find that many people in society today would much rather send an email to someone rather than talking to them on the phone. This then provides numerous innuendos to the fact that libel is growing within the modern society we live in. It is amazing to see how Facebook has grown to become a worldwide phenomenon, and how it can be used to bring about hateful comments about others. Just a canvas provides a medium for a painting, social media provides the medium for libel. As the number of users involved with social media skyrockets, so does libel.
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marinadolinar
12/4/2012 02:15:56 am
i think that committing liabel is more prevalent in the 21st century because of our dependence on computers and our fascination with social media such as twitter and facebok. Social media definately makes it easier for nasty messages to spread and take on a life of there own holding the power to destroy someones reputation on the basis of a lie because of the way technology has the power to reach people and spread.
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caitlin nieset
12/4/2012 06:26:33 am
calumny and slandery are things that i see and hear everyday, more so than libel. it's high school, not everybody likes everybody, so naturally, people show those feelings. in girls especially, who enjoy gossip and the latest rumors, slandery and calumny happen so often. i've done it myself. i think that sometimes people get so caught up in their dislike for someone that their fire is fueled and they continue to talk badly about another person; they will do or say just about anything to get other people to dislike this person as well. social media plays a large role in this. today, social networks and technology are the primary path in which information and thoughts are shared among our generation. blatantly mean tweets, facebook posts, text messages, etc occur every day as part of an act of slandery or calumny.
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caitlin nieset
12/4/2012 06:27:23 am
*slander
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Chris Shkil
12/4/2012 09:33:08 am
I believe commiting libel is more present in today's society. I believe this is because people are more likely to say things online with todays technologies because they are afraid to say things to people's faces. This is also because of social media. More people tweet and write on facebook about other people instead of talking about them to their faces because they believe its better. They also do this because it is easier for way more people to see what you have written about the person
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Raj
12/4/2012 09:47:11 am
I believe both of these are prevalent in today's society. Committing libel is more prevalent today through social media. People will literally say anything behind a computer/phone. They think that just because they aren't face to face with the other person that they wont get in trouble for it, or that they wont be found out. They can tweet something and it will spread faster than it would by word of mouth. Anyone and everyone can believe a lie in text(or on twitter) because they cant see your face to see if you are actually telling the truth or not. They think that if they type it behind a computer than nothing will happen to them, they feel more sheltered rather than face to face, when that is not true at all.
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Hallie Stacho
12/4/2012 10:11:01 am
I think that calumny and slander are most prevalent today in society. The fact of the matter is that people don't get along with each other, so they don't like each other. This dislike turns into hatred and the inclination to say and do things to hurt your enemies. I feel like when someone you dislike does something, it becomes 10 times more annoying or offensive. This makes you angry and frustrated so you exaggerate what they said to make them look bad. This is slander because you're twisting their words and lying to hurt their reputation. Social media only worsens this problem because people hear these lies and spread them through posts or tweets. Social media also adds to the confusion because you no longer know what the person actually said, what the person behind their back said, and then what people who heard about this said on the internet. In the end, it hurts everybody.
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Noah Boksansky
12/5/2012 04:26:03 am
I believe that calumny/slander are most prevalent in society today. Libel is certainly committed often through social media/constant communication, but slander and libel are constantly occurring, because of people's inclination to be more critical and slandering of people that they do not already like. Libel is committed through writing, but slander can happen in many ways, be it through word, action, or even expressions of emotion. People, especially high-school/college age kids are especially adept at creating bad reputations for people, and these ideas are increasingly spread through calumny & slander.
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De'Aydra Duke
12/5/2012 04:46:32 am
I think committing libel is more common because people today are punks and they would rather say it behind a computer than saying it to someone in person. There are all ways bad things about someone one social networks and then it gets back to the person and it never ends well. Another problem is now because it is out for everyone to see, there are many more unnecessary people who encourage the argument and start more problems. If people would go to the person and talk to them face to face problems would not be as out of control and it would be easier to solve them. Things said online tend to be much more disrespectful than when people talk to one another. So I think media plays a big role because it makes it easier to say rude things with out really saying it.
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Kendra Zbinovec
12/5/2012 04:49:55 am
I feel telling lies in order to destroy a persons reputation, is a lot more common in the 21st century, especially in the work place, school, and life in general. Just the other day i heard someone was saying how they were talking bad about someone just so they could go out with this guy because apparently, she like him to. At work, if someone were to be eligible for a higher position and they found out that someone else was also up for the promotion, that person may start a rumor just so they could get the job. I feel that we pressure ourselves to do these things because we want the best thing that we can possibly get, no matter who we have to break to get it. I think in today's society we are always want the next best thing no matter if we sweet talked someone to get it or if we actually worked hard to get it. Also, especially teens, we strive to be popular and again it goes back to destroying people's confidence and their self-esteem to get higher up on the ladder.
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emily jereb
12/5/2012 04:53:29 am
in today's society i think that committing libel is more common. this is because with the technology the world provides for us, it makes it easier for people to spread rumors, lies, and talk to one another without being with each other. social media has a lot to do with this due to the fact that many people have a networking site like facebook or twitter where thoughts can be shared instantly. ideas can be spread very quickly over networks like these and reach a wider range of people compared to in person. lastly, i feel that more people hide behind the computer because they do not have the courage to say things in person.
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Kaitlin O'Connell
12/5/2012 06:22:42 am
Personally I think committing libel is more common nowadays. Writing lies about someone you don't like is a lot easier through social media, since its easy to hide behind a computer or phone. I think people are used to having a relationship with someone through technology, making it harder to talk to people in person. Its hard to talk others about someone because they may be friends with the person you don't like. Expressing how you feel about someone can lead to telling people lies (slander) which is done quite a lot these days.
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Tori Gorom
12/5/2012 06:28:27 am
I think that in today's society committing libel is more common because of the technology we have available to us. Most people have social networks available on their computers and phones so everywhere they go they have the opportunity to write rumors and lies. When someone gets upset with someone else social networks can be an outlet for their anger. They don't want to say rude things directly to that person's face so they write about it over social media. Then, lots of people see it and rumors get spread faster, so the lies do more damage.
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Gabbie Turner
12/5/2012 06:46:09 am
I think that commiting libel is much more prevelant in todays society. I think both of them are related, however, i think libel is seen much more today. It can be seen when people use twitter or facebook to tear each other down, and to make others seem worse than they are. For example, i have seen twitter fights where people 'subtweet' others, so that other people become involved in what has happened. This allows others to become angry with the one person, and therefore causes more issues, including ruining their reputation. Social media makes it easier for this to occur, because no one is afraid to say things over the internet, it is in person when people are fearful. I believe the internet allows people to be bigger than they really are, and allows them to say things they would never think of saying to someones face.
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Haley Meadows
12/5/2012 06:55:10 am
I think committing libel is more prevalent in 21st century society, and the second part of your question kind of answers it. Social media enables us to say whatever we please, whenever we please. And it's always there. Even if you delete something off of the internet, someone could print screen it and have it saved. Nothing we say is protected. We can say things that we normally wouldn't have the guts to say out loud in front of people without being afraid. We can say things that we think the other person won't see. Libel is seen a lot on sites like Tumblr or Formspring, where you can kind of bully someone anonymously or "rant" about someone who you don't like. These kinds of things are hurtful and just magnify the effects of straight up telling lies- because in the blink of an eye anyone, anywhere can see it.
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Kyle Kruse
12/5/2012 07:32:15 am
Both slander or calumny and libel are present in everyday societal life. Of the two offenses against the Eighth Commandment, I think that slander is more prevalent in today’s society. This past fall, the nation witnessed two individuals compete to capture the presidency. No matter where you seemed to turn, there were political campaign advertisements in abundance. The figures show that this past election consisted of the most “mudslinging” of any before in our nation’s history. It seemed to me that the majority of advertisements I heard on Pandora was essentially one candidate accusing the other of some injustice to the country or lie. Watching the debates, I viewed firsthand how the claim of one candidate was almost always deemed false by the other. Back and forth they seemed to go, accusing each other of claims reported on in the media. I found myself beckoning the question, “These individuals want me to vote for them to run the most complicated country in the world, but they themselves are not above the slander that has seeped into our society? The debates proved to me that we are all humans and we are all attempting to appear favorable in the public eye. It appears that, more times than not, the television and radio headlines are of an alleged action of a celebrity or other prominent figure. The public is interested in the scandal of others and accordingly feeds of these network reports, true or not. Teenagers are bombarded today with a bunch of misinformation in the form of rumors. These rumors start small but become uncontrollable once they spread. Social media contributes to the rapid spread of these rumors. Often, individuals play “devil’s advocate” and embellish the rumor further to attract more interest.
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Melissa Frate
12/5/2012 07:49:29 am
I'm trying to pick which one of these topics is more prevalent in today's world, but i can't. these two topics go hand in hand. at our school, you can't do one without doing the other. when someone becomes jealous of another -- usually two girls -- the jealous one will talk crap on the other and post nasty comment/pictures online on social media websites about the other to make everyone aware of what's going on. the girls nowadays are so catty, that once something doesnt go their way, they immediately destroy the person who "did this" to them. In doing so, they comment nasty stuff on twitter, facebook, instagram, etc, while telling everyone in the halls, at school, or other schools what that person did and why they should "hate" them. I cannot stand it. I see it everyday. The people who do it the most always play the victim and it aggravates me. Ugh, this topic irritates me -- Leaving you with this; both these topics go hand in hand.. in today's society, we mixed both of them and make it one - at least NDCL does...
God Bless ! :)
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Nicole Perfetto
12/5/2012 07:55:42 am
I think that both libel and slander are prevelant in today's society. With all the new different kinds of social media, there are many ways kids are now able to spread untrue rumors about others, quite easily. slander is also very prevelant today. Many kids will take about another kid, that maybe doesn't fit in, or when a member of the "group" isn't thee, this makes it very easy to be talked about by others. Social media, i think plays a huge role in contributing to libel. With facebook, and twitter, and so many other social media, you can almost gaurentee that kids are doing it constantly, because it has become so easy to do, through social networking.
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Allie Bokar
12/5/2012 08:41:17 am
With so much access to computers, social media, and constant electronic communication, libel has become more prominent in the 21st century. Throughout the day, tons of rumors are spread through texting and social media. I think people are more willing to write mean/false things about someone than speak them because they are disguised in a way. Often times, a person can hide behind their computer screen and no one will ever know it was them who started a rumor to hurt someone else. I do, however, think slander is a major issue in today's society as well. The first example I can think of is girls. Girls never get along 24/7. There will be arguments and one of them will go and tell everyone (twisting the story, of course) to make the other girl look like the bad one, regardless of who was "right" or started the fight.
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Perry Yert
12/5/2012 09:04:02 am
Committing libel is most seen regarding social networking sites. People tend to be cop-outs and cannot tell things to other's faces anymore so if they have a problem with someone they resort to posting it on twitter hoping the other person will see. This is such a huge level of disrespect in my eyes. However, slander and calumny are very prominent at NDCL. I know of people who purposely have started horrible rumors about another just to prove how fast word travels around our school. By the end of the day everyone knew. I don't know why everyone is so worried about the actions others partake in, it is their business so how does it affect anyone else? This is something that never made sense to me, due to the fact i've been on the other end of this. Knowing the immaturity level it takes to follow through with these actions I try my best not to partake in them.
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Mark O'Hara
12/5/2012 09:12:28 am
I believe that committing libel is much more prevalent in the 21st century.The social media like twitter and Facebook provide an easy way to talk about people behind their backs. Many people find it hard to say something mean directly to someone and so they do it the easy by writing it and not having to deal with the immediate consequences. People find it easy to hide behind the internet and spread rumors about people by writing about it and many people participate in this. So in these ways libel is much more prevalent in these modern days.
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Julian Wilson
12/5/2012 09:19:08 am
While calumny surely must be more prevalent than ever with the advent of social media and new forms of communication like text messaging, I believe libel must be more common still. The amount of interactions between people who are talking about another outnumber (at least in my experience) what I read someone type about another.
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Lindsay Griesmer
12/5/2012 09:21:45 am
Committing libel definitely occurs more in the 21st century. Because of all of the social media sites, it makes bullies easier to hurt someone. On the internet, it seems as if a person can say whatever he/she pleases without any consequences. People are willing to post their issues with another on the internet to get attention and to allow other people to get involved in something that should be private. It's interesting to see just how far a person will go to hurt someone on the internet but when they are face to face with the person they are talking about the bully seems to deny doing anything wrong. I have seen/experienced both ends of libel and it sucks. But it seems that no matter what we try to do as a society to stop libel or slander, there will always be people out there to bring others down. I believe that the only thing each of us can do is to try to respect one another.
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Darcy Loviscek
12/5/2012 09:52:37 am
Although I believe that slander is very common in the 21st century, I definitely believe that libel is much more prevalent. This, of course, is due to the use of social media as many other people have said. Just a few years ago, I always heard people talking about what someone ‘said’ about them, but now I always hear people talking to their friends saying things like “did you see what she Tweeted about me?” Of course people still talk behind each other’s backs, but with social media, rumors are out there for everyone to see. Once something is written online, it is permanent which is very frightening. When someone commits slander, the rumors float around for a while, but with libel, the rumors can always reappear, even if they were thought to have been deleted. In this way, I think libel is more prevalent and hurtful, especially because of how quickly and how far rumors can be spread. Whereas lies would be spread throughout a day in the past, they can now be spread within seconds by just tweeting or texting something or writing something on Facebook. These rumors can also spread to other schools and even to strangers because of how connected everyone is through social networks. This can really damage someone’s reputation as they may start receiving hurtful messages from people they may not even know. People find it very easy to bully through Facebook, Twitter, etc. because they do not have to confront someone in person. They may not feel as guilty about harming someone’s reputation if they do not have to actually face the person and unfortunately this really seems to encourage libel through social media.
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Anna Martin
12/5/2012 10:01:31 am
In my opinion, committing libel is more prevalent in the 21st century, although committing slander and calumny are not far behind. In this day and age, all the new social networking has provided a wall for people to hide behind. Not all people have the courage to confront a person face to face. Instead, you end up with things like cyberbullying that have a negative impact on many people. Social networking also makes the ability to spread rumors to ruin someone's reputation much easier. That's not to say that slander and calumny arn't around, because they are. There are always people, especially in high school, that want to tear others down to boost themselves up.
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britt grabowski
12/5/2012 10:12:51 am
i think that committed libel is the one that is a big factor in society today. between twitter, facebook, texting, myspace, instagram etc. there are so many ways to talking trash about someone without confronting them to their face. people now a days just text what they want to say instead of making things personal. its quite sad to see but it happens all the time. committed libel happens at every school, business, and basically every place you go to. its unfortunate that people cant keep their opinions to themselves but our society is downfalling into this sick world of rumors and gossip.
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Kathrine Zmina
12/5/2012 10:45:48 am
The more prevalent case of destroying someone's reputation is writing libel about them. In this day and age, it is expected that you tweet 100 times a day about everything that happens. We have so many outlets to our emotions that people generally act on an impulse without thinking about the consequences. It's easy to get carried away while posting things on the internet because there is no immediate repercussion. If you're talking to someone in person, you'll be able to see their response to your emotion and maybe that reaction will influence you to stop spreading rumors. But due to the lack of visual clues as to how your message is being received, it's easy to post a million opinions at once without caring about the result. Social media makes it extremely easy to do so because it is so accessible at any time of the day. You have a place to write out all of the events of the day and people are passionate beings! We get angry or upset and have to let everyone know! Social media is just a tool for us to connect with people who happen to share those same thoughts.
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Ryan Javorek
12/5/2012 10:56:03 am
I see more libel in society today than slandering. People as a whole have no passion for their beliefs and never stick to their standards. Libel is popular because no one can uphold their beliefs in person and people are forced to talk through a phone or social network. When it comes to standing up to someone in person the passion for personal beliefs is not there and the point is not made. Everyone is always worried about what others will think and no one can comfortably enjoy what they want to enjoy because of pressure from others. Our generation needs a radical change at the social level. Everyone needs to stop judging and start accepting people for who they truly are, like God accepts you for who you are.
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Natalie DiChiro
12/5/2012 11:24:51 am
In my opinion both committed slander and libel are prevalent in society. People talk behind each others backs every day. Gossip is very common. If someone states that they don't gossip I personally believe that's false. Everyone gossips about something. It can be gossip about a class, grades, people driving, people who piss you off, etc. However, gossiping behind someone's back is much more serious than gossiping about a bad grade and such. No one should talk behind someone's back and make up false liars. Also, committed libel is so common in society. We have Facebook, text messaging, emails, magazines, and all other forms of social media right at our fingertips. For example on twitter people like to subtweet about people. Subtweeting is tweeting about a person without saying who they are tweeting about. A lot of subtweets are about how much someone pisses someone off. I think that is just terrible because then you just sit staring at your twitter wondering who that subtweet is about. The bottom line and the point I'm trying to get at is gossip and lying is bad. I said in the last forum that I strongly dislike lying and I will always say that. And then gossiping about someone and then lying to their face is just absurd. Own up to what you said. If not then the next time you have something bad to say then don't say it at all. It's not worth the drama.
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Natalie DiChiro
12/5/2012 11:26:18 am
No one should talk behind someone's back and make up false lies*
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Jarman Smith
12/5/2012 11:30:15 am
I belive that both actions are just about equally prevalent in today's society. As children, we experience a lot of bullying and teasing in schools and other social gatherings. Whether or not something may be a joke or not, does not alter the after effects. In these situations students say bad or false things about somebody that they dont like so that others would share the same opinion. And with the advancements of social media, students are able to spread false rumors easier and a larger audience can be affected.
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Mary Lenk
12/5/2012 11:40:12 am
Slander is more prevalent. Conversation involves impulse and people don't feel responsible for what they say. Anger, jealousy, and dislike can cause a person to spread lies, either on purpose or as a result of impulse. I think that libel is less common because it takes a motive and committment to actually write a lie about another person. People aren't held responsible for conversation because it is so easily twisted and hard to trace. Written words are more powerful. Social media has increased the spreading of lies because it has become so conversational and less formal. People have been writing lies forever, but never in such a casual way. Social media just gives the cowards a shield to hide behind and distances people. People feel empowered by being able to express their feeling without confrontation. Libel is definitely increasing, but it cannot match the amount of slander that infests the halls of high school.
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Mariah Salloum
12/5/2012 12:03:31 pm
I believe telling lies (slander/calumny) is more common in the 21st century. I believe this because at school I always hear people gossiping about eachother and telling lies about eachother. I believe kids do it because they are bored and they want some drama to entertain themselves and to make their lives more interesting. I also believe they do it for the thrill and adrenaline rush. I also witness this in the social media. The media always tells lies about people that are celebrities or politicians in order to grab people's attention. They hope to cause a person to watch a certain TV channel or buy a certain magazine thus causing them to make money. Again, it is that same adrenaline rush that people get from learning about someone else's private business, whether it is true or not. I personally hate gossip. I can't stand when someone talks about another person. Even if what he or she is saying is true, I don't care. I don't want to hear it, because I beleive we should always look for the good in others, instead of try to ruin their reputation and pick out their flaws.
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Jordan Wolf
12/5/2012 12:11:50 pm
Libel seems to e the most prominent. Social networks are a source of gossip or rumors or just complete bullcrap people hear or invent just because they think they can hide behind a computer. Social Media is a big influence on our beliefs, especially of other people. Celebrtities and certain stereotypes are often targeted. Although the Internet is very useful it has become a weapon to use to spread lies about other people and ridicule them until they become an object of loathing. I have heard plenty of gossip from the Internet in the school hallways and its ridiculous what people say about each other.
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Mikayla Bucci
12/5/2012 12:13:28 pm
I think that individually, calumny is most prevailant, but thanks to mass media, libel is a societal sin we partake in with gossip magazines. I personally have dealt more with calumny. I had a "friend" who I became close to, until they turned on me. They spread lies about me to make all of our other friends hate me. Eventually though, the "friend" did the same thing to those who abandoned me previously because of the rumors, making them realize what had really happened. I think in the end, the truth always wins.
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Mikayla
12/5/2012 12:17:16 pm
I think though that social media has not INCREASED lies being spread, it just has made them more upfront and easier to access. Before it would be said behind your back, now it's said on the interweb.
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Michael Macuga
12/5/2012 12:29:19 pm
I don't think these two can be separated and ranked. Lies are spoken and lies are written and they go hand in hand. The perfect example is elections, specifically presidential. This past election was filled with slanderous actions. When a candidate told a lie about another candidate, social media caught on, the public caught on, and the statements were posted online. From there it was up to the Americans to debate among themselves in which written lies on social networking sites abounded. If a lie originated from the Internet, people would have to talk about it in school, at work, or on the news. When it's heard, it's written down. When it's written, it's spoken. Gossip in school continues with gossip online when people go home. The next day, the previous day's or early morning's discussions online are continued at school. Social media acts as the harbinger of spoken lies to the public and the publlic acts as the harbinger of written lies to the media. Slander and libel feed off each other and require the other to survive in the 21st century. Therefore, both are most prevalent in today's society and neither can be ranked more prevalent than the other.
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Anika
12/5/2012 01:02:38 pm
In the world we live in now I think both are pretty prominent. Things go on twitter after someone says it out loud. For example, I tell my best friend how Jane Doe did whatever with whoever and it was so trashy. Fill in the blanks with whatever you want. Then my friend tweets "can't believe what I just heard." Clearly people are going to want to know what she heard so it either gets passed by word of mouth or by social media. While I think both are pretty prevalent now I really agree with what Perry said. At NDCL gossip travels quicker by word of mouth. And when you think about it sometimes its "safer" to tell someone something than it is to tweet it. If everyone is talking about whatever no one is gonna remember who they heard it from because chances are they've heard it from everyone. And when people ask who's talking about it you're "protected" by the blanket of "everyone." So l
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Anika
12/5/2012 01:04:17 pm
(Sorry my post cut off) ....so looking into it I think slander is slot worse because you can't trace it back. And I think it spreads quicker.
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Laurem Beck
12/5/2012 02:05:50 pm
I definitely think committing slander is more prevalent in today's society. It is a lot easier to say something about someone than to write something down, saying something leaves no evidence, People can say as many things as they want but as soon as it is written (on twitter, facebook, etc.) it is able to be traced back to someone. People say a lot of things but in the end I feel like everyone has a fear of being caught because then what they at first wanted to happen to another person's reputation could now happen to their own. Gossip makes people look mean, even though almost everyone does it. It is almost like a dirty habit of people, it can be rather disgusting. A lot of people need to keep their thoughts to themselves. Social media plays a big role in this because like I said before, people do not know how to keep their thoughts to themselves these days, people are in a habit of posting all of their thoughts on twitter and facebook statuses. Not all of these posts and statuses are nice, a lot are about people that the person does not particularly like.
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Abby Zahuranec
12/5/2012 10:12:17 pm
I do think both of these acts are committed today, but slander and calumny are more prominent. Some might say that because of the Facebook or Twitter, libel is more popular but I feel that most of the time when people say something over the internet about someone names are not usually included so you are left wondering who it is about, so no ones reputation is really ruined. Today though everyone gossips, if it is people just talking to their friends or a group. This is something that happens everyday and you don't need any kind of technology to do so. Also people feel like it is safer to say things then to tweet or post about someone because there no really proof that they said something bad against another person.
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Emily Amendola
12/5/2012 11:59:32 pm
I strongly believe that both are very prevalent in today's society because people get bored and enjoy hiding their faults to bring the attention to someone other than themselves so that they can join in instead of being the point of focus. However, libel is huge today. People like to hide behind their computer screen. They feel more strong. It is much easier to talk badly or lie about someone over the internet than in person.
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Julie Zagar
12/6/2012 12:01:37 am
Either way lying is bad. and a sin. people commit slander and calumny all the time. social networking is a big part of it because once it's posted online it stays online. you can erase/delete it up still it's in archives and never fully gone. Telling lies verbally is just as bad. it starts off from word of mouth but it then may be posted by another person on the social network world. word of mouth is more prominent than texting or tweeting. not everyone has a social networking outlet like older adults and younger kids in school. gossip is such a major problem in our world today and in all reality it probably won't ever be stopped of fixed and it causes so much pain and bullying to those who are victims.
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McKinzie Trotta
12/6/2012 12:06:37 am
I think that today slander is more prevalent. Even though people are always on social media and putting to writing their negative thoughts or oppinions of people i think a majority of lying about someone is done by word of mouth. Its so easy to just spread a rumor about someone without even thinking about it because when we speak there is hardly any filter and it is easy to not speak the truth. I think that most people are smart enough to realize that if they are going to say a lie about someone an easy way to get caught is by posting it to facebook.
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Amanda Zbinovec
12/6/2012 12:12:16 am
Every day people talk down on each other. They say things to make others look bad, even if they may not be true. I think that today libel is most common when it comes to lying. You saw it all the time with political ads. They should be ashamed of themselves. Libel is just plain awful and dumb. People all the time do it on Facebook and Twitter. They make up rumors and lies so it looks like the other person is at fault. They make it seem that the other person is bad and they are in turn good. In reality, they are at fault for making such false accusations. Lying is bad and just makes everything worse. What ever happened to the truth?
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Meghan Anderson
12/6/2012 01:32:47 am
I think that they are both in our society today. Writing lies is more seen today in my opinion because of social networks such as Facebook and twitter. Usually you always see someone posting lies about someone else. No one should be posting or saying lies about someone just to make them look bad
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Marisa Mandato
12/6/2012 02:12:43 am
Slander and Libel are both prevalent in today's society. Every day we hear a new rumor about someone in the building. It can be a rumor about a teacher or a rumor about a student. Even though we do not start these rumors we still hear them and sometimes pass them on in a small form. Also, in the media, slander is present. On E News for example there are upwards of 15 different stories they tell throughout the program. Most of these stories are true but usually one or two of them are completely false. These stories affect celebrities as well as politicians and officials. Additionally, slader occurs on tv shows like TMZ. The reporters find a miniscule problem and exaggerate it largely. However, libel is also present in society. In magazines, like People and Us Weekly, there are stories that run that are completely false, which make an actor seem like a bad person. These are not the only magazines that show libel. The National Enquirer sends out false stories and tries to sway the public's opinion. So in conclusion, both libel and slander are very prevalent in our 21st century, society.
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Greg Talarcek
12/6/2012 04:38:28 am
This is an easy one. Libel is the most prevelant in the 21st century. This is because of technology. Technology is a great thing but every great thing comes with its flaws (except God of course). The problem with technology is that it removes the personal aspect of bearing fals witness. The temptation is great and many people fail to resist it.
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Donte Bailey
12/6/2012 04:42:49 am
I believe slander is the worst because spreading rumors about someone around to other people can make someone looking very bad in a society where judging people is more common than helping them. Telling lies to ruin someones reputation to other people is very bad because the story can take so many twist and turns as it spreads and can hurt the person more than the person who started the rumors intended to. At the end of the day lying is never ok to do and if someone has a problem with someone else they should talk about it as adults and move on with life.
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Daniel McIlroy
12/6/2012 04:51:16 am
I believe that slander is very prevolent among everyone today. Espescially being in high school, you hear stuff all the time that simply isn't true about another person. There is so much gossip and talking behind the back that it is sad. With this being said, I also believe that libel is very much present in today's world. Almost everyone is using social networks everyday, whether it be twitter or facebook. On these sites, you see constant lies and backmouthing just to hurt someone else. I strongly believe that both slander and libel have really gotten out of control in our society.
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Danielle Aquila
12/6/2012 05:35:08 am
I believe that slander is more prevalent in our society today because more people are likely to tell their friend about something than to tweet them about it. Yes, libel exists too because of twitter and facebook, but that happens outside of school. People spend the majority of their young life in school, and I believe that that is where people tend to gossip the most, when they are young and have not fully matured. I think that once we get older and wiser, we stop caring as much with issues that do not pertain to us so slander and libel would drastically decrease.
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Jenny Raguz
12/6/2012 05:58:48 am
I believe committing slander or calumny is more prevalent in the 21st century. With the social media we have today, it is easy to just type something about someone, but honestly, I have rarely seen it for myself on my twitter timeline. I think people talk bad about others to their friends. And friends tell other friends. Saying something can sometimes just slip out, rather than typing something and having some extra time to really think about what you're about to send out for the world to see. People are not entirely stupid. Many know that when something is on the internet, it's out there for good. So, people resort to just talking about others rather than writing it out with the chance of so many people to see it. Social media is huge in this, which is why I think there is more slander than libel in today's society.
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Monica Marcotte
12/6/2012 06:22:29 am
I believe that slander, calumny, and libel are all equally committed in our society. People talk about each other on a daily basis. Rumors spread like wild fires in highschool. Everyone is always looking for the next thing to talk about, as well as write about on social media networks. Social media makes it so much easier to talk bad about people and to spread rumors. it is easier because what you say on twitter, you are not saying directly to the person's face. Once one person sees it, it will never be forgotten. I have been a victim of libel, and I have also contributed to slander and calumny. I know how bad it hurts to be talked about by others, so I try to be considerate and think about what I am going to say before I say something, or tweet something.
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Delaney Hufgard
12/6/2012 06:54:23 am
I think in our society today libel is committed more. With all the technology available that allows a written message to be seem by a vast number of people in a short period of time, it has become much more convenient to write lies about other people. Because the lies can be seen by so many more people, the damage is a lot worse. Thts why cyber bullying is such a big problem because once the lie or hateful words are there, anyone can see it and it really can't be taken down. That is why when people are writing or telling lies, especially via social networks, they should think about the damage the lie could do and think if they would want something like that to be said about them.
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Sheila Smith
12/6/2012 07:44:45 am
I think that calumny and slander are more prevalent in the 21st century. Of course many lies and rumors are spread through Twitter, texting, and Facebook, however, a lot of gossip takes place through word of mouth. This can happen anywhere--at school or on the weekends. Friends find common ground in talking about people and rumors can quickly form. People tend to get worked up over drama, leading them to seek revenge against the other person. Subtweeting on Twitter and venting texts to a friend can quickly turn into forming lies that one might spread the next day at school. It's all a cycle. A little tiff between two friends on Twitter can start rumors and gossip, while ending a relationship. I think social media feeds off of the gossip that people talk about in person and vice versa. It's all connected. What we say, we end up writing about and what we write about, we eventually say.
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Dom Natale
12/6/2012 08:04:04 am
I think that writing lies are more prominent because of social media. It's easier for people to write online about people because people feel safer hiding behind things like twitter. It's a sad truth but lies can be spread quicker than ever over social media networks.
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Anthony Radosky
12/6/2012 08:17:36 am
I definately think that telling lies are a more prominent issue in todays soceity rather than writing them. In high no one writes anything down rumors occur based on people over hearing things in school. People do this on purpose because they may want to ruin someones reputation. This can happen when people have fights in school or can just be somebody does not like someone. It is more prevalent than writing because people have no filter on what they say and happens through talking on the phones. Social Media plays a key role in this because they shape our views as individuals and as a result we start to judge other people. In turn we start telling lies in order to mock someone out because they do not have the same views as us.
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Niarra Ogbonna
12/6/2012 08:25:49 am
Writing lies about people happens more in today's society. This is mainly because of social media today. People sit behind the computer and begin to do things they wouldnt normally do in public. They get confident enough to express all their feelings and even the ugly ones. They don't think about the consequnces or permanence of what they do and right on the web.
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Phil Aquila
12/6/2012 08:39:00 am
Both slander and libel are very common things in today's world. Libel is probably more frequent because of the internet and social media. If you have ever looked at the comments on a youtube video, for example, you will see people say things that they wouldn't in person. Technology provides a barrier between them and the world, so they can say what things without fear of being judged or hated. This can be a powerful tool, like this forum, but much more often it is abused to cause harm to others.
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Alex Pirc
12/6/2012 08:55:45 am
I believe that libel is more prevalent in today's society. With the Internet being so immense, a person can write something and the whole world can find it. The Internet, along with all the other technology we have today, empowers people. There are many people today who will tweet something or post something on Facebook that they wouldn't dare to say in public. The reality is, everything on the Internet is public. Someone on twitter can say something as little as "Oh she's such a whore" and that can go viral in minutes. Retweets lead to exposure to a bigger group of people, and the process snowballs. Some tweets even make the news. People write things or post things with no sense of remorse because they believe they are free to say what they want and not be affected by it. They use the Internet as a tool to attack people, because they can do it from the comfort of their own home. We see this daily, especially in the media. Someone reputable gets their image damaged, and the press is all over it and has the story online and in the news within hours. Before that person can even defend themselves, their reputation is ruined. Libel is used to damage careers, bully, and to simple ruin someone's day. We model these actions after society, which is the media. We follow people who set such a bad example, and we are left with lies and false opinions.
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Julia Corello
12/6/2012 09:07:41 am
I believe that both libel and slander/calumny go hand in hand when it comes to the 21st century. For starters, social networking and the media play a huge role in our lives today. Libel is seen through these things. People feel more comfortable hiding behind a computer and writing down false statements about others than actually saying them out loud because then they do not have to necessarily confront the situation face to face. With everyone using social networks more often today, rumors spread like wild fire. The media also takes part in libel. They print out a false statements in hopes that people will buy into the lies and purchase their products. On the other hand, slander/calumny happen everday also. People are more likely to take part in gossip when with their friends or other highschool students. Rumors spread verbally throughout the halls everyday. People make up lies about others, i believe, because they have nothing better to do with their lives and want to get a reaction out of the other person. Both take place everyday in the 21st century.
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Steve Frandanisa
12/6/2012 09:16:35 am
I think more people commit libel now because it is easier to be done. Many people hide behind technology to try and ruin a person's reputation because their are rarely any consequences. Social media has brought about this kind of offense and people do not have to go face to face anymore to spread rumors. People take part in this for fun and do not realize how large of an affect it can have on someone.
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Olivia Coleman
12/6/2012 09:23:28 am
I think that most lies are spread by both. it may start put written on the Internet like twitter,but people end up talking about it and spreading it both ways. when something happens to a celebrity it ends up on tv and in papers. it's a very even social system of spreading lies.
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jill rosegger
12/6/2012 09:44:33 am
I believe calumny and slander are most prevalent in the 21st century. I believe this, because every day i witness people talking about one another in order for others to feel less about that person or not like that person as much. There are lies constantly told because of jealousy, revenge, or other issues. I think talking about people happens more than writing about people, because so many people just talk without thinking, but when someone actually writes it down they have time to look at it before it goes out to the world. In high school when one rumor is started it gets around in just a few hours and the whole high school knows by the end of the day. These rumors are purely started to bash another individual or to make others look at them negatively. Social media plays a role, because in tv shows and movies it shows that society thinks it is acceptable in high school to talk about others in negative ways and spread rumors just to benefit oneself.
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Eric Knapik
12/6/2012 10:49:43 am
With all of the mass news media the most common in my opinion is libel. The large majority of where I see libel is with politicians and the movie stars, and the only reason that people do it is so they look slightly better in the public's eyes. The mass media is one of the biggest contributors to all of the lies about people that if you would like to say anything about any one person all you have to do is write it on the internet, if enough people read what you wrote it spreads and suddenly there is a giant story about that one lie you wrote about that person. What kind of message do we send to everyone else that sees us that if we don't like someone or we need to appear better than them we just bash, gossip and lie about them behind their back so that everyone will think less of that person. That will solve all of our problems if we just make it so that the person can never be trusted then they will never able to harm us again because they were such a bad person before that they just want to get back at poor innocent me. Is there a way that we can rid the world of the availability of libel because once you write something on the internet it is there forever people may forget what you say but what you write can always be seen again. We need to get back to doing on to others as we wish done onto us. There is no way that bashing another person will help you in the end it just will come back to hurt us, but the mass media shows that lying about a person is good if it makes us appear better especially with politicians, the world needs to get away from its pettiness of whose better and work together not compete for who will lead but how to work so that we success together. Beware of what the mass media tells us it is never a role model to follow.
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Olivia Evans
12/6/2012 11:00:49 am
I think libel is much more prevelant today. There are so many ways open to people these days to commit this sin. There are tons of social networks that make it so easy to write things about anything, with no filter. It is also a lot easier to write something about another person than to say it to their face. These social networks opened the door to so much libel, it is crazy. It is not just social networks though, our elected government leaders do it worse than anyone. Congressman are even exempt from libel and slander law suits while on the job. I just think that it accomplishes nothing and that it is very immature to participate in. People wonder why there is so much cyber bullying happening when the leaders of our country are teaching everyone that it is ok as long as your "on the job."
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Mark Malone
12/6/2012 11:02:37 am
I believe slander and calumny are more prevalent than libel in today's society. Although social networks have much libel, I feel are more likely to spread gossip among their friends and classmates. Most teenagers enjoy gossiping and get excited when a new rumor breaks out. It's amazing how fast a rumor can spread through ndcl just by students gossiping about it
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Daniel Kling
12/6/2012 11:16:58 am
I believe that libel is more prevalent in today's society. I believe this to be true because most people will not take ownership of the lies. People are afraid to say the lies in person, because then there is no backing off saying things like,"I didn't mean it" or "That was not me," but in writing you could say things such as" that wasn't me, me account got hacked" or "I don't even have a Twitter/Facebook." In today's society accounts can be made with someone else's name or can be hacked and be misused. On the other hand verbal slander cannot be said under a different name or face. Social media can bring the worst out in people. People say things online that would never be said in person, this is called "Twitter bold." Things said on online never leave or get deleted. Words that are said face to face hurt first but can disappear as time goes on. In my opinion, libel is more prevalent and more hurtful.
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Billy Varcho
12/6/2012 11:23:30 am
I believe that libel is more common in our world today because thanks to Facebook and twitter we can write bad things about people, and by not actually saying it, distance ourselves from the remark. This leaves only the remark to be read by people and not truly associate the comment with the writer. Its has become and easy way to talk about someone, without having the stones to say it to their face.
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Erica Lam
12/6/2012 12:20:20 pm
Committing slander and libel is most prevalent in the social media of today. Teenagers post lies about others on social networking websites such as Twitter and Facebook in order to feel better about themselves, or to seem cool. If not on the internet, they spread rumors and gossip around. Girls are the main culprits in targeting others through their words because of their self-consciousness. They want to put others down to boost their self-esteem. However, they don't always this about the consequences of their actions. Some don't realize how badly someone could react to the lies that are being spread around. Besides teenagers, adults commit slander and libel too. Media including television, entertainment sites, and political sites also write and say lies about others, regardless of the truth. Entertainment news just want to make dirty money by talking about anything interesting that usually makes others look bad. We feed into this type of news because again, we want to boost our self esteem. Hearing gossip about celebrities makes us think that even though these people are rich and famous, they make huge mistakes all the time, although its not always necessarily true. Politicians just want to make it to the top and be successful. They don't care who they are hurting, as long as what they want happens, or they get voted into office. So in the world today, everyone commits slander or libel, no matter how big it is. In order to make us feel better about ourselves, we break one of the Ten Commandments, God's law.
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Erica Lam
12/6/2012 12:23:05 pm
Basically, I don't think that there is a more prevalent sin between committing slander or libel. In today's society, both are equally present in social media and in contact with others.
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Jonah Schulz
12/6/2012 12:22:29 pm
I think it is very obvious how slander is a common fixture in today's life. People always want to bring others down for whatever reason. There is much talk behind others backs and I'm sure a great deal is said about me behind mine. I think you can see slander used, again I'll go back to politics, in this past election as anything that was said by Mitt Romney was twisted by the president and the media. Not to mention the flat out lies told, such as the "war on women." It is just a disgusting aspect of society today.
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Diana Muzina
12/6/2012 12:59:54 pm
I believe that commit in libel, writing lies about other people, is more prevalent in the world today. With the vast development of social media, people are able to hide behind a computer screen, and often find that they feel like they can say whatever they want while doing so. This has transformed into individuals using sites like Twitter and Facebook to call people out, to confront people, and the most detrimental, to bully someone, when they would not normally do so face to face. We have turned into a generation where relationships revolve around, if not are based on, a constant means of communication and information. For instance, if you tweet but do not text someone back, the other person almost automatically assumes that you are angry with them. We are so consumed by this stuff that we forget to live our lives, and forget that other people are leading lives outside of their tweets, Facebook posts, and texts to people. Obviously, I have transgressed. But a huge problem today, is that so many people recognize this problem, voice that they recognize it, but then go out and do it themselves. They don't live what they say, and would rather say what they think online as live what they think. Consequently, social media and texting has become a breeding ground for libel, because people almost don't equate tweeting something or texting something with actually saying it, therefore they don't think it's wrong. But it is, and it's almost worse.
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Jaclyn Melvin
12/6/2012 02:28:46 pm
I feel that slander, calumny, and libel are all quite prevalent in today’s society. Nevertheless, I would have to say that people commit libel more frequently. This is due to the impact of social media. We are able to put so much on the internet, but this technological power can have both positive and negative effects. While we can stay in touch with our friends and have up-to-the-second information, we cannot believe everything that we read. Journalists and the paparazzi create rumors to cause commotion. Teenagers on Facebook can get caught up in the “drama” of the social scene and make false accusations as well. People commit libel for various reasons. They may want to put others down in order to make themselves appear better. They may be envious of what another person has and believe that destroying the person’s reputation will somehow turn everything in their favor. No matter what the reason is, we cannot deny the fact that libel is harmful and widespread. Slander and calumny are also major problems, and it is saddening that our world is so full of lies. The truth may hurt and is not always pretty. However, this does not make lying acceptable or justifiable. It is best to find an honest solution that will not harm anyone.
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Chuckiy Bement
12/6/2012 03:37:57 pm
Yo, that What Would You Do show is a big lie to the world's face. Refer to my previous forum posting.
But anyways, libel is mega mundo defo more prevalent in today's society. Almost to the point where you don't actual hear gossip spreading around through ear. You check your phone. You only really hear about lies after they've been spread around the web. People, corporations, newspapers, etc. all have their form of libel. Whether it's in politics, someone throwing a bitchfit, or tabloid magazines we see obscure and dreadful, harmful, lies.
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Cassie kresnye
12/6/2012 07:59:36 pm
Libel is more prevalent nowadays. Even though Facebook and twitter may have their advantages, they are the main building blocks for people to commit libel. It's almost sad tosee how much people post about one another, even if they are 'vague' about it. I believe this has been a huge jump for libel because this way you never have today it to a persons face. It' cowardly to commit libel, hiding behind a username and profile pic, and to many, it is an easy way to hurt someone since so many people see it. I guess we live in a society of cowardly bully's, thankfully all we have to do to avoid it is logout.
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Julia Tuason
12/6/2012 08:00:44 pm
Even though I think the 21st century and social media has made actions considered to be libelous more accessible and easy to spread, the amount of slander taking place will not merely disappear. I think I have heard enough of both cases that it’s sometimes hard to tell the difference: What can be said online is often repeated or comes up again in words.
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Nick 1st
12/6/2012 08:04:19 pm
Normally telling lies about someone is the most common in high school and it is very popular but sense new technology it makes it easier to write about someone. This could be mainly over text and even sometimes on twitter or Facebook or any other social networking site. Technology is a great thing but you have to be careful to use it the right way and use it for good and not for evil. We all have gossiped but we all need to realize just how much we do it and try and fix it to be just a little bit if a better person.
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Shireen
12/6/2012 08:06:23 pm
I believe that libel is more frequent in our society today because of the immense growth in technology and the internet. Its easier to committ libel now today because of that, then it was in earlier years. Because of the fact that people can now hide behind computer screens, and not have to say what they are saying to this person online, to their face.
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Mike Mandac
12/6/2012 08:06:32 pm
Libel is most prevalent in the 21st century through the issue of cyber-bullying. This is found through the social media of Face book/Twitter. Hidden by the anonymity of a computer screen, people come to believe it’s acceptable to write and spread rumors to hurt people. This has a great potential to damage a person’s reputation and create insecurity and anxiety. This perhaps reveals one person’s needs to inflate their own ego at the expense of damaging another person.
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Charles Pinzone
12/6/2012 10:26:11 pm
In my experiences slander is the most prevalent in the 21st century and social media does play a large part. Almost every TV show depicts gossip and harshness for fun or amusement of few while it hurts the target. This is sometimes something we graze over without even noticing. Honestly, I think many people are being desensitized to it. Just like we are being desensitized to violence and sex. It is depicted everywhere and it, sadly, is becoming expected and even not a big deal. I think slander is prevalent in the 21st century especially because of all of the competition that goes on. Someone is always trying to get ahead of another and some use any means necessary. Like I said before, we are becoming more and more desensitized. Which means getting ahead by lying about someone else to hurt them is seen as not that big a deal, or just another way to get what we want. This possess a problem for society. We need to be strong and stop taking in all of these horrible messages. People need to start standing up for what is right. I think we are losing this mentality in the 21st century.
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Jimmy Vanek
12/7/2012 12:04:24 am
Although both are very prevalent in today's society, I believe that libel is more frequently seen in today's world. Social networking has taken this to a completely new level as now people have the opportunity to sit behind a computer and completely bash another person without having to face them in person. This is a huge problem in today's society and I believe it will continue to grow.
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Daniel Sternin
12/7/2012 12:17:33 am
I think that committing libel is more prevalent in the 21st century especially in the social media. It's easier to write things about people now than what it was years ago because the technology now is more advanced than what it was years ago. It also makes people more dependent on computers, and be afraid to say something to people's face.
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nicole orlando
12/7/2012 12:17:57 am
i cant think of a time i specificaly ive deliberately tried to hurt a person. normaly if i am angry i keep to myself. if i have a problem with someone i confront them face to face. i know our generation is so used to tweeting and posting ideas about others behind their backs. we hide behind social media. i think everyone has talked bad about someone or talked negatively about their friends in some way it is going to happen one way or another.
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Billy Molle
12/7/2012 02:03:29 am
I believe that slander and libel is more prevalent in the 21st century because the Internet makes everything so accessible. In such a dog eat dog world, anyone can se anything and it may change their life. The presence of Facebook and twitter means that our world never stops moving. At 1 am, two people could still be awake and talking about other people. The constancy of slander and libel is what makes today's world so dangerous.
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Kalen Banks
12/7/2012 02:14:22 am
I believe committing libel is more prevalent in the 21st century than committing slander because rather then people having to talk to one another or just being civil, our morality has changed. Instead of dealing with their problems in the real world, many people hide behind forms of social network because it's a new resource. In the 21st century there are many more social networks that invite teenagers and slightly older age people to communicate with the rest of the world, usually not in the nicest ways. In twitter sub-tweets are very popular amongst users to subliminally talk about another person without using their name; more often than not everyone else still knows who they are talking about. In facebook sub-tweets aren't an option but many people make statuses referring to another person in which they are having problems with.
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Nikki Franchini
12/7/2012 06:17:16 am
I feel that both of these topics are prevalent in society today. But, committing libel is a little more prevalent today through social media. It's so common that people will just tweet a nasty rumor or go along with what others are saying, or even just blatenly subtweet a person out of pure hate. Girls get out of hand with this alot. It's been done to all of us, guys and girls. But i think especially with girls, some just have it out for another person and use twitter as an escape. Bullying is so common via twitter/facebook and I dont think when a tweet is wrote about a person, they're fully thinking about the damages it could do to someone. Even instagram and texts/group chats. With my mom having the profession that she does, I constantly see all the negative effects of Twitter and Facebook because on any given day, she comes home sometimes and said that one of her students in the building had committed suiciude and a majority of the times that I have heard her say that, it was due to bullying. It really is such a shame that so many people have that much hate for a person where they are okay with tearing a person apart behind a computer or text messages. It all just needs to end.
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Emily B
12/7/2012 06:25:24 am
I think that libel is the most prevalent in society today. The spoken word is so much less important now than it's been in the past. There's less whispering and more tweeting. More people see tweets than hear words.
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Emily B
12/7/2012 06:29:04 am
Also, it's much easier to misunderstand "libel" online. Not only is it important because of the hurt it can cause, it is important because of the hurt it causes unintentionally. For example, if someone tweets about someone as a joke and somebody else sees it and starts a huge explosion about it when it's not about them, then everything just gets blown out of proportion and there's a multitude of hurt feelings.
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Maddie Chandler
12/7/2012 02:34:16 pm
I believe that both slander/calumny and libel are very prominent in today's society. I would have to say that slander is most common around us but libel is a bigger issue that is a continuation of slander. Wherever you go you constantly hear someone saying bad things about someone behind their back, everyone does it at some point. Whether it is true or not it is still slander because you are spreading bad information and/or lies about a person. These made up things can wreck a persons reputation, cause people to hate them, and ruin future opportunities. Everyday I see slander at ndcl more often than anywhere else. Not just by word of mouth but on social media as well. Libel is all over Facebook, twitter, Instagram, etc. Just scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed or twitter timeline I see constant statuses or "subtweets" about people. People constantly bashing others but never putting a name to it or saying it to them directly and it's honestly sad but funny too. Half of the time I see someone tweet something indirectly talking about someone and I immediately think to myself "I can't even imagine them saying that in person.." Both are seen everyday but I believe slander will always be more common with social media allowing a continuation of these hurtful things.
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Adam Kuhar
12/8/2012 08:39:47 am
I believe that committing libel is most prevalent in the 21st century. The reason i believe this is most prevalent is because of social media, it plays a huge role in people committing libel. There are so many ways for a person to spread a rumor or a lie without a person even finding out until it is too late because of social media. Someone could post something on facebook and everyone will see it. It could take a week for the person to find out about it. People can simply tweet something, and a rumor is spread that quick. I think it is probably easier to make a lie or a rumor widespread by simply posting it on the internet. No confrontation of anyone and its instantly known. Also by social media, it makes it easy to spread a rumor anonymously without anyone even finding out who post it and where it came from. Social media simply makes it to easy for someone to commit libel today.
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Mike Boehm
12/8/2012 09:54:21 am
I think the prevalence of both slander and libel varies depending on the topic or situation. With social media it's easier to commit libel due to the fact that you have time to come up with a believable fallacy without the pressure of having people around you physically. I've witnessed libel predominantly committed against famous people because it's easier to get away with. I believe slander becomes more prevalent when thinking of the risks of committing libel against a person. Once something is sent in a text or over the internet it has the opportunity to be exposed to anyone, anywhere. It may be easier to slander sometimes when speaking to a person because most of the time our words can't be proven said unless they were recorded. I would probably have to say that in today's society, libel is still committed more oftenly only because of technology advancements. We tend to commit these sins due to being ignorant, inconsiderate, possibly confrontational, and just straight up bored.
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Andrew Leahy
12/9/2012 03:04:45 am
I believe slander is more common in today's 21st century society than ever before. We hear it all the time on TV, in the halls, or on the radio. Whether it be politicians or friends commiting the lies, slander is very common. Social media seems to enhance the slander by spreading the rumors and creating new ones, but there are some media networks that work to put down these lies and rebuild the peoples' reputation, which is mainly seen in online articles rather than on TV.
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Brittany Castrataro
12/9/2012 05:13:34 am
I think in today's society committing libel is more common because of the technology that teenagers can get ahold of. People would rather hide behind their computer and say what they feel instead of telling someone straight up to their face. Social media is a big problem in our society. Twitter and Facebook are two BIG social media networks that are becoming popular. Many people post bad things about someone on there and then everyone can see it. It's not just between them anymore, all their friends will see the post. Some people may even have something to say about it and make the problem bigger than it is.
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Michael Somrak
12/9/2012 05:21:38 am
I believe that throughout society today we are seeing more and more people committing libel. There are so many people today that pretend to be one way, but in the reality they are the exact opposite. For example someone may always put on a smile whenever talking to people, but when they get home they write terrible things about others, committing libel. Over the years social media has made a huge impact on libel. In the world there are so many people that would rather hide behind a curtain and lie to others through the use of social media rather than be straight up and tell someone to their face. I believe that this only makes more and more problems however because names are called and not only the person that is being called out gets their reputation tainted but also the person calling out. Others will see that person as a coward and someone who is afraid to actually say something to the other person.
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Lydia Alexander
12/9/2012 08:28:26 am
I think that more people in the 21st century write lies about another person to destroy their reputation. Social media like twitter, facebook, myspace, and formspring make if very easy for people to hide behind their computer screens. Espically formspring, because it allows you to post things on peoples pages anonymously. I think people feel comfortable behind their computers, and when they have to confront the person about what they said, they get scared. Twitter also makes it easy to subtweet people that you may have a problem with. I feel like bullying has gone up because of social media, because more problems are solved face to face, and are just made worse behind computers.
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Ryan Paul Sebastian Manfredi
12/9/2012 10:30:17 am
I believe committing libel is more previlent in today's society mainly because of social media. The problems that cites and apps such as twitter,Facebook, and Instagram have caused for our generation is insane and when I tell my parents about kids committing suicide or hurting themselves because of what someone said on twitter they look at me like I'm crazy and then say wow I am happy we didn't have to deal with any of that. Libel in today's society is mainly behind closed doors on the Internet but it still happens be word of mouth and in person but not as much. The problem is people think they are cool cause they can say something about someone at the safety of their home but if it was in person they would never say anything.
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Jonah Cook
12/9/2012 11:03:48 am
In today's society Libel is definitley more relevent when talking out how thnings get around. With social media such as facebook and twitter and even texting, false rumours are spread almost instantly and spread like wild fire. People nowadays cannot seem to talk or argue to one another face to face its mostly over the internet. Talking bad about someone over social media is worse than actually saying it to their face because when you write it out on the internet is is there for everyone to see and can never truly be del
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Nick Frindt
12/9/2012 11:37:44 am
I would say that libel is more prevalent in this age because, although it is wrong, slander is very common. The spreading of lies and rumors verbally happens almost every single day, especially in high schools. For this reason, it is very hard to believe many of the lies that are told and heard, so a rumor spread verbally does not always have a large impact on people. However, when things are written, they seem to be more believable. Social media plays a big part in the spreading of libel through social networking sites and newspapers. Both of which can be more reliable sources than a rumor being spread verbally.
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Chris Capretta
12/9/2012 09:39:53 pm
I believe both of these are in today's society. Even though both are in today's society libel is more prevalent then then slander is.The spreading of lies and rumors can start with one text or a click of a button on the computer, In high school people are spreading lies and rumors every single day and people start to believe them as the time goes on. People are not impacted so much now by rumors and lies because they are spread around every single day so they have gotten used to hearing lies about them and rumors going around the school about them. When its online it impacts the person more because more people can see what that person is saying that when they are spreading it around in school. Social Media is how people are finding out that they are being lied too and are having rumors about them going around. The social media is why kids are starting to become depressed and killing them selves because when they log onto facebook or twitter they can see what people are saying about them and with out either one of those sites they person would of never of known people were making fun of them.
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Mike brown
12/9/2012 10:11:52 pm
I feel that slander and libel are seen about the same amount in todays world. People write things on twitter just as much as they tell lies and over exaggerate in person. I think this is done so people can feel more liked. If they have a good story or know a fact about someone that nobody else does, they feel a sense of power. This then leads to the taking advantage of that power. But at the end of the day real people are going to be real and fake people are going to be fake. I just try to stick to me and handle my own business.
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James Herubin
12/10/2012 05:51:41 am
Libel is more prevelant today because it is much easier to commit Libel through social media and other modern forms of communication. Back in the day it had to be through mail, newspaper, or posters. It can occur much more offten now because of the ease of mass communication as well. Writing lies is a lot easier to write now in social mdeia than to say it about someone in person. You can hide behind your keyboard and talk crap but can't even look that same person you said that about in the eye. Libel has become the easiest way in modern society to ruin a personas reputation.
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Joey Greiner
12/10/2012 08:33:15 am
I feel that committing libel or writing things in order to destroy someone's reputation is most common in the 21st century. I feel this way because I have all of the social networks and having these allows you to witness first Han this action taking place. It is a sad thing to see someone do this for usually a dumb reason that only has a bad outcome, but if you were to ask around I bet there are very few people in this school especially that have not written something harmful on twitter or Facebook with only the simple motive to hurt there feelings or make them feel bad about themselves, I have to admit I have done this to in my high shook career. There is something about twitter that's led everyone feel so powerful and have the ability to say whatever they want because they are infront of a computer screen and feel invincible.
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Anthony varcelli
12/10/2012 12:00:43 pm
I truly believe that both slander and libel are equally used the same. Which ever one is easier or more convenient for the person to use to tell the lie that's what they will do. I do not know exactly what this does for people and I am not around it very much to know enough about it to write about it. I know it happens because it is reality, however I hate that it has to be that way. For someto feel good about telling a lie is really a loss for that person. If you are able to live with the conscience of telling lies as being ok then I dot know what kind of person that is. I will live the truth I know.
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Conor Fogarty
12/11/2012 09:34:44 am
I think that slander is much greater in the 21rst century. Written lies on Facebook and Twitter, sure, that gets seen and viewed by almost anybody. That's how social networking works, allowing thousands of people free access to each our opinions and words about each other, whether it's what we want to see or not. But, Facebook and Twitter can only go so far, and they are only mediums of digital communication. It is the hushed conversations in class with one person (and, nothing against ladies, but it tends to be a girl) suddenly lowering their voice and speaking to a table of other kids. And, nobody's huddled around like it's obviously not meant to be heard, yet everybody, as long as you're in the loop with the social world, is able to hear. With the rumor passed there's usually a couple of affirmations where people offer their own input on the person in question with maybe a sigh of confirmation from another. Now, it's not like I'm trying to convict a bunch of kids here, no way. A lot of times, less often, however, there's someone who tries to stand up for that person, not with conviction, but with a practical explanation. If that account is inaccurate, it's because I tend to be the person who's out of the loop, sometimes the one who stands up for others (but, please, I'm no righteous, Catholic choir boy), or the one who does agree with the account given of someone else. Nobody can love everybody or even like them in this school, but I will agree that the slander is quite emotionally destructive and their are some terrible, almost heartless pieces of s****(pardon me!) here who have no concern for what they say against other people and how it hurts them, or, they act like it at times and make me feel kind of crappy about the whole thing. And, yes, I think that Facebook and Twitter (which are annoying as hell sometimes) have their role to play. An unseen person can post libel online and everyone can see it in this day and age, more on Twitter than Facebook actually because all our parents are on Facebook now. So, stupid stuff gets on social networking sites yet the real hurt of slander spreads with the hushed words and the piercing stares of some kids who by their actions, lead other kids to pain, misery, and worse. Nobody intends for sadness to be caused by what they say, and I think that most of us kids who end up spreading slander would feel pretty sorry for what they end us causing. Yet, there are those who are truly cold-hearted and seek to destroy a person by their reputation, which can be done fairly well with social networking. If I may be permitted to offer my opinion one more time and say, "If you've got a glass jaw, you better watch your mouth!" (Before something terrible happens, let me just say that I was quoting 50 Cent back there).
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Alex Shaver
12/13/2012 11:01:33 am
Libel is much more present in society today because most people don't have the balls to say something to someone's face. Rather, someone can hide behind their computer screen and type any little thing they want to. It is cowardly to do such a thing because anyone can write something semi-anonymously on the internet about anyone. Though airing out your dirty laundry in public isn't the best option either, it is better to confront someone else about beef that you have rather than sit at your computer and type words of hate.