Video Game Reviewer Is Contacting the Mothers of Her Online Harassers

[DiSiAC 1,347]

 

It's a story as old as, well, the Internet. A woman is a video game journalist. She receives rape and death threats. The end.

 

But in a delightful new take on the old story, said video game journalist has reached out to the mothers of her harassers, just to let them know what their sons are up to.

 

Alanah Pearce reviews video games for Australian radio stations and television. She also has her own YouTube channel. She has received a number of threats on Twitter and Facebook simply because (this is a well-informed assumption) she's a woman, though Gamergate probably has something to do with it, so she took matters into her own hands, telling the Guardian:

 

"A while ago, I realised that a lot of the people who send disgusting or overly sexual comments to me over the internet aren't adult males…It turns out that mostly they're young boys and the problem is they don't know any better, so responding to them rationally didn't resolve the situation. And it got to the point where their comments were starting to make me feel really uncomfortable."

 

Fair enough. Pearce was easily able to find the families of her harassers and got in touch with their mothers. She has reached out to four mothers, sending them screenshots of their son's handiwork. So far, one of the mothers has responded:

 

 

"Hi Anna, I don't know you, but I was wondering if [blanked-out] is your son?"

 

"Yes he is. Why?"

 

"I have never met him before, but he sent me a concerning message to my public Facebook page today that I was wondering if you might be interested in discussing with him." *screengrab*

 

"Omg, little sh*t. I'M SO SORRY. YES I WILL TALK TO HIM!"

 

Beautiful. Pearce was obviously pretty pleased with the woman's response to her son's threats, but for her, it was more about rehumanizing the internet a bit:

 

"It was just a way to try to reach a resolution, to productively teach young boys it's not okay to be sexist to women, even if they're on the internet," she says,

 

"that they are real people and that there should be actual consequences for that."

 

Source

 

[TCK 2,164]

though Gamergate probably has something to do with it

Thanks, based journalist, for your wild assumption immediately after joking about assumptions. I'm not involved in gamergate but I know enough to know that the only threats being sent by them are by people who want to make the movement look bad. The journalist just made themself look like a joke by saying that.

 

Anyway, though, I do definitely support getting little kids in trouble for doing dumb shit on the internet. Lurk moar, faggots.

 

One last thing:

"And it got to the point where their comments were starting to make me feel really uncomfortable."

I just... I don't understand some people... "Hm, well it really affects me emotionally when people are casually harsh... seems like the internet would be a GREAT place for me!"

[DeadHamster 954]

Wahhhh, the internet was mean to me.

[ForkSpoonz 2,647]

why let things die and stay in the past when you can tattle on a handful of idiots to their mommies

[Krazychic 3,311]

It is really not a nice thing to be on the receiving end of, in my case, two 13 year old children from the UK telling me they were going to rape me and the details that came with it and it not being a one off thing.  It may be funny to them but to a pedophile it would be like being in a candy shop.

 

Not cool!  I applaud her.

[TCK 2,164]

two 13 year old children from the UK telling me they were going to rape me and the details that came with it and it not being a one off thing.  It may be funny to them but to a pedophile it would be like being in a candy shop.

I am having trouble understanding this.

 

You're saying 13 year-olds describing themselves raping someone, to a pedophile, would feel like being in a candy shop?

Edited November 30, 2014 by TCK

[Luke 1,574]

Wahhhh, the internet was mean to me.

 

 

why let things die and stay in the past when you can tattle on a handful of idiots to their mommies

So you're saying that women shouldn't use one of the greatest inventions in human history because somehow getting rape and death threats is their problem? What the fuck, victim blame much?

Edited November 30, 2014 by Luke

[TCK 2,164]

So you're saying that women shouldn't use one of the greatest inventions in human history because somehow getting rape and death threats is their problem? What the fuck, victim blame much?

It's a good thing I definitely said that.

 

Except I actually said I support getting kids in trouble for doing stupid shit online.

[Luke 1,574]

It's a good thing I definitely said that.

 

Except I actually said I support getting kids in trouble for doing stupid shit online.

I misread you and removed the quote, ahh sorry

[TCK 2,164]

It's fine though if you want to talk about my last bit; it's not victim blaming but I did say how it seems like the internet isn't really the place to be for the type of person who is made uncomfortable by words.

Edited November 30, 2014 by TCK