Dog Poop Girl

Dog Poop Girl

When I first heard about this story and how we were doing an assignment on it, I began to laugh.  I thought it was such a trivial thing to read about.  I do not think that a girl who doesn’t pick up her dog’s poop is the worst thing in the world; but the internet thinks otherwise.  I don’t think the dog owner deserved the criticism she received from others.  Was not picking up the dog poop bad?  Yes, but the internet took it to an unnecessary level.  I don’t think it was a big deal that someone took a picture of the event and uploaded it to the internet- although the picture should have been blurred so her identity was not clear, I do, however, think it was hurtful how people disclosed her private information; which was an invasion of privacy. 

The “norm police” were definitely too harsh on the dog poop girl.  I believe they took it too far and spread her information in a cruel manor.  The internet takes gossiping to a whole new level.  When someone does something wrong and it is gossiped about, that person may be embarrassed for a week or two until the rumors die down; but when something is put on the internet, it is there forever and makes a bigger effect.  The information goes “viral” and can reach an unlimited amount of people rather than a rumor or little secrets that spread throughout a peer group. 

The “shadow side” of online empowerment is the defects of the internet that nobody really notices.  For instance, people think of the internet as beneficial and mostly good, but no one really notices the cons and how it could ruin the life of another. 

Shame is a good tool for social-enforcement of norms to a certain extent.  Shame is good to prevent people from breaking social norms and to prevent embarrassment.  However in Poop Girl’s case the shame was taken too far to the point where her embarrassment led her to leave her university and talk about committing suicide.

It is funny because these articles are all about how the internet may have gone too far in posting all her information and spreading stories about her, but it is hypocritical in a way because this article is actually spreading her story and talking about her.  We see things like this almost everyday with social media.  For example people post on other people’s statuses and pages to attempt to “blackmail” them.  Also there are certain websites that people can take a picture of others and post it to the website revealing their identities.  For example there is a website called "Seent It" based on TCNJ and its students that includes pictures and posts from anonymous people of certain students around campus.  The students do not know they are getting a picture taken of them and may see themselves randomly on the website, with a “nickname” for them that people start to refer them as. Overall, the consequences of internet postings are greater than expected.