|
== Controversies ==
Since its inception, Formspring has garnered some controversycontroversies, especially among teenagers, for the perception thatas it opened the doordoors for [[harassment]] and [[bullying|cyberbullying]], due to the anonymity of the entries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://media.www.uctangerine.com/media/storage/paper815/news/2010/02/26/Entertainment/Formspring.Sparks.Curiosity.Caution-3879960.shtml |title=Formspring Sparks Curiosity, Caution - Entertainment |publisher=Media.www.uctangerine.com |date=2010-02-26 |accessdate=2010-11-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/06/us/06formspring.html | work=The New York Times | title=Teenage Insults, Scrawled on Web, Not on Walls | first=Tamar | last=Lewin | date=May 5, 2010}}</ref> A fight between several students at a [[Central Dauphin East High School|high school in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania high school]], which started after an argument over Formspring, and it received some media attention in February 2010.<ref>{{cite web|title=School Disputes Claims of Near-Riot|first=Dennis|last=Owens|url=http://www.whtm.com/news/stories/0210/707982.html|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20100611235957/http://www.whtm.com/news/stories/0210/707982.html|date=February 19, 2010|archivedate=2010-06-11|work=abc27 News}}</ref> On 12 March 12, 2010, a news article, which later turned out to be a [[hoax]], saidreported that theFormspring creators plannedplanning to revealrelease personal information about theirits users spread onvia [[Twitter]] and other social networking sites.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.inquisitr.com/66425/formspring-to-reveal-users-private-data/ |title=Formspring prank story plagues Twitter |publisher=Inquisitr.com |date=2010-03-12 |accessdate=2010-11-06}}</ref> Formspring has stated on its company blog that it will never publicly reveal anonymous information of its users.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.formspring.me/2010/08/can-you-tell-me-who-asked-me-an-anonymous-question/ |title=Can you tell me who asked me an anonymous question? |publisher=Formspring.me |date=2010-08-10 |accessdate=2010-12-14}}</ref> On 22 March 222010, 2010West Islip, a 17-year-old West Islip, New York high school graduate, committed suicide,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/family-friends-shocked-at-cyberposts-after-teen-s-death-1.1827393 |title=Family, friends shocked at cyberposts after teen's death |publisher=Newsday.com |date=2010-03-23 |accessdate=2010-11-06}}</ref> reportedly after dozens ofseveral insulting comments abouttargeting her had been posted on Formspring in the days leading up to her death. Soon after, a local grassroots boycott of the Formspring site began.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/after-teen-s-death-3-800-pledge-web-site-boycott-1.1829354 |title=Alexis Pilkington's friends vow to boycott social networking site |publisher=Newsday.com |date=2010-03-24 |accessdate=2010-11-06}}</ref>
AIn furtherFebruary incident2011, ofan suicideincident allegedly prompted by bullying on Formspring wasled theto untimelythe death of 15-year-old Natasha MacBryde, from Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, United Kingdom. The Coroner's inquiry heard that she received anonymous personal abuse via the website on 13 February 2011; this appears to have compounded bullying and teenage anxiety intoto a level, where, having researched suicide methods, Natasha took her own life on 14 February 2011after researching suicide methods. According to the Daily Telegraph:, "Det Sgt Shanie Erwin told the inquest that Natasha was known to have received a short anonymous message containing personal abuse via the Formspring networking site on February 13. The message, which was read to the jury by Det Sgt Erwin, derided Natasha for “hiding” behind make-up. It ended: “Start acting nicer to people or you will lose everyone. Mark my words.”<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/social-media/8653867/Teenager-in-rail-suicide-was-sent-abusive-message-on-social-networking-site.html |title=Teenager in rail suicide was sent abusive message on social networking site |publisher=Daily Telegraph |date=2011-07-22 |accessdate=2011-09-16 |___location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.birminghammail.net/2011/07/22/beautiful-and-talented-teenager-took-her-own-life-inquest-97319-29097736 |title='Beautiful & talented' teenager took her own life - inquest |publisher=birminghammail.net |date=2011-07-22 |accessdate=2011-07-25}}</ref>
AnotherIn incidentSeptember of2011, another bullying incident, involving anonymous harassment on Formspring, wasled reportedto onthe indeath Septemberof 2011.a A fourteen14-year-old student,. [[Jamey Rodemeyer]], a student from [[Williamsville North High School]] in [[New York state]], [[United States]], committed suicide on September 18, 2011,September after repeated incidents of [[bullying]] in real life and on Formspring. Rodemeyer's video, "[[It Gets Better]]" video, specifically callscalled out Formspring as a factor in contributing to the anti-gay bullying impacting his life.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.buffalonews.com/city/schools/article563538.ece?articleId=563538&pubDate=2011-09-20&order=T&page=3|title=Teenager struggled with bullying before taking his life|publisher=Buffalo News|date=2011-09-20|accessdate=2011-09-20}}</ref>
In March 2011, Formspring participated in a March 2011 White House Conference on Bullying Prevention along with MTV, Facebook, Survey Monkey and others. At the conference, Formspring announced that it iswas working with The MIT Media Lab to develop new approaches toin detectdetecting online bullyingcyberbullying, and to design interfaces whichthat would help prevent it or mitigate it when it does occuroccurs.<ref>{{cite web|title=PRESIDENT AND FIRST LADY CALL FOR A UNITED EFFORT TO ADDRESS BULLYING|url=http://m.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/03/10/president-and-first-lady-call-united-effort-address-bullying|publisher=The White House|accessdate=18 August 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=O'Dell|first=Jolie|title=Formspring Takes a Stand Against Bullies — With Help From MIT|url=http://mashable.com/2011/03/10/formspring-bullying/|publisher=Mashable|accessdate=18 August 2011}}</ref> In January 2012, Formspring also announced that it was a sponsor of the Great American NO BULL Challenge, a nationwide video contest that encourages teenagers to stand up to bullying.<ref>{{cite web|title=Introducing the Great American NO BULL Challenge|url=http://blog.formspring.me/2012/01/introducing-the-great-american-no-bull-challenge/|work=Formspring Blog|accessdate=5 February 2012}}</ref>
The concept of Formspring was copied by the creators of [[Ask.fm]], who used the same format of allowing anonymous questioning by people who knew each other offline, which some experts believe is a toxic mix that will inevitably lead to trouble for some users. Both sites have been linked to several teenage suicides.<ref>Binns, Amy (2014) Twitter City and Facebook Village: teenage girls' personas and experiences influenced by choice architecture in social networking sites. Journal of Media Practice Vol. 15, Iss. 2, 2014 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14682753.2014.960763 free version available at http://www.academia.edu/9345514/Twitter_City_Facebook_Village_Teenage_girls_personas_and_experiences_influenced_by_choice_architecture_in_social_networking_sites</ref><ref>Binns, Amy (2013) Facebook’s Ugly Sisters: Anonymity and Abuse on Formspring and Ask.fm. Media Education Research Journal . Volume 4, Issue 1. ISSN 2040-4530 http://clok.uclan.ac.uk/8378/</ref>
|
