A 16 year old student at Howard School of Technology in Wilmington, Delaware died after being jumped by several girls in the school bathroom. This tragic incident calls for the need to teach Digital Citizenship. Witnesses stated that fight took place over a boy. According to witnesses, a groups of students stood and watched while the youth was stomped and stabbed to death. The most disturbing fact is that most to the students were recording the incident on their smartphones instead of intervening to prevent bodily harm. Paramedics performed CPR outside the school in an attempt to save the youth’s life. Eventually, the youth was air lifted to A.I Dupont Hospital for Children.

Twitter Reacted To The Death Of The Young Girl.

A 15-year-old girl was beaten to death in a school bathroom while other students stood back to record it. This is a disgusting world #RIPAmy

— Morgs (@morganiassecret) April 22, 2016

You all need to realize that a human life is worth more than a stupid worldstar video. #RIPAmy

— Faith in Humanity (@TheWorldImages) April 22, 2016

When the modern day bystander effect is being too busy trying to record a potential viral video. Seriously disgusting & shameful. #RIPAmy

— Mykie (@Glam_And_Gore) April 22, 2016

The Need for Digital Citizenship

The youth’s death is an example of the lack of digital citizenship being taught in schools. Teens are too busy trying to see who can record a viral video to get them more likes and acceptance instead of doing the right thing in protecting this young lady’s life. Digital Citizens teaches kids to be upstanders instead of by standers during the presence of bullying and violence. The Bully Project created the hashtag campaign #ADDUpstander to the Dictionary in order to shed light on the number of bystanders that allow violence to take place in their presence. A petition was started by over 2,500 students.

Katy, @bullymovie, and over 2,500 others think its time to #addupstander to the dictionary: https://t.co/HQaMAQj5zZ pic.twitter.com/WKm22Ih07g

— Change.org (@Change) December 27, 2015

Upstanders ensure that bullying and violence does not take place in their environment. They are up on all of the school policies and procedures around bullying. If a fight takes place, then they are the first to notify school security or a teacher to intervene.

Hip Hop The Key to Digital Citizenship

Digital Citizenship has to became a part of urban culture to stop these types of tragic events. Hip Hop artists should incorporate digital citizenship within their lyrics in order to send the message to youth. In the 90’s KRS, BDP, Stetsasonic, Kool Moe Dee, MC Lyte, Doug Fresh, Just-Ice, Heavy D, Chuck D, Flavor Flav and many others created the video “Self Destruction” as an anti violence video for the community

The all star rap song communicated strong anti violence messages over a dope beat which penetrated the minds of young youth across the world at that time. Now it is time for a new wave of Hip Hop artists to take to the studio to create their version of digital citizenship. It is the only way to prevent the Worldstar Hip Hop culture of creating violence in the hope of capturing a viral video. It’s your turn Future, Rich Homie Quan, Kanye, and Kendrick to pick up the torch and stop this nonsense.