There is a type of movie that takes its name from the time slot in the television programming schedule when the networks would air these films; ‘After School Specials’. Most commonly these made for TV movies were shown in the 3:30 to 5:30 time slot right when their target demographic of tweens and teens are getting home from school and turning on TV. At least that was the original paradigm back in 1972 when ABC initiated the practice. That was the time before the internet or even when TVs were a common fixture in a teen’s room. They would have to get their television fix in the living room before Dad got home from work and Mom was in the kitchen busy making dinner. The After School Special usually followed a rather strict formula founded on the premise, some social issue most frequently pertinent to teens. The cast typically included young actors on their way up hoping to catch the attention of potential fans while their stars were on the rise. Many actors that went on to notable popularity and acclaim have a movie or two of this kind under their belts. Although the other broadcast networks quickly jumped on the trend as well as the spin-off of the more mature theme variation, the Lifetime movie, ABC has remained faithful to their creation continuing to produce new films several times a year. These movies have been folded into their ABC Family channel and have kept up with the times by modernizing the themes and presentation. One of the recent examples of the continuation of this type of programming is ‘Cyberbully’. Of course adults seem to think that anything with ‘cyber’ in the title is going to sound appealing to teens when really they are sufficiently sophisticated to see directly through such a transparent ploy. What will draw the younger set to watch this film is a couple of names in the cast that they readily recognize and the fact that prior to the DVD release the movie was easily available through several mainstream online streaming sites. Ultimately, the founding principle of the After School Special remains viable 9 pm time slot that kids will want to watch because it deals with an issue many face on a daily basis.

Taylor Hillridge (Emily Osment) is a typical modern teenage girl; she is fully engaged in an IM conversation with her best friend Samantha Caldone (Kay Panabaker) before she is even ready to go to school. Her day has barely begun but the ‘bffs’ are already riding another girl in their class through this all important form of social interaction. There is no surprise as to why this form of communication has proliferated so quickly into the teen society. It offers everything that teens traditionally covert in a means peer interaction. Teens have always devised their own jargon in part as a way to protect their conversations from adults. IM and texting is ideal in this regard each with their own generationally encrypted language. Bullies have plagued teens throughout history but under the illusion of physical isolation the net has proven to be a richly fertile ground for harmful verbal attacks. The phrase about sticks and stones must have been coined by someone who forgot what it was to be a teen. Most teens would prefer stick or stone over the viciousness inherent in ill-conceived gossip whether in a note passed in homeroom or posted on someone’s Facebook wall. Taylor has a major impediment to internet access, her mother Kris (Kelly Rowan). Mom is aware of the dangers inherent in unfettered online access and has installed parental monitoring software on the family laptop and has forbidden internet access on her phone. Kris is also not above reading the screen over her daughter’s shoulder. Sam and Taylor’s other friend Cheyenne Mortenson (Meaghan Rath) consider such measures draconian and downright primitive. The film opens on the day of Taylor’s seventeenth birthday when Mom relents and gives Taylor her own laptop for her exclusive use. She trusts her daughter and wants her to pursue her journalistic goals so the rules are simple; no inappropriate sites and no posting personal information. Naturally the first this the girl does is call her friends over and signs up for a social networking site, ‘Cliquesters.

The emotional angst is fueled by a boy, Scott Ozsik (Jon McLaren) who friends her and after class asks if they can hang out together in the school’s chat room. As a former teenage boy I would have preferred a more personal time together but as a father of a daughter I am in favor of the greatest possible distance between genetic and biologically active material as possible. There is the requisite mean girl squadron lead by the gossip mongering Lindsay Fordyce (Nastassia Markiewicz) but the real dame is from a closer source as a result of unbridled jealousy. It goes to the point where Taylor tries frantically to commit suicide foiled by a child proof cap on the pill bottle.

The film remains true to form going as bit heavy handed with its didactic nature. A strong case can be made to justify this treatment of the subject as there are numerous cases of deaths both murder and suicide associated with the practice of cyber bulling. The film is intended to provide a basis for conversation between parents and children but it might be more realistic to think that the kids may start off making fun of it only to slide into a more meaningful discussion among close friends. The cast was well selected to catch the eye of the target audience. Emily Osment is the kid sister of Oscar nominated Haley Joel Osment. Emily became a public figure playing Ethel of the Lucy of Mylie Cyrus for four years on the Disney tween sit com, ’Hannah Montana’. Osment has been more circumspect with handling the transition from child star by selecting teen appropriate role like this and stating out of the tabloid media. Kay Panabaker also has a famous child star sibling, Danielle Panabaker who built a successful adult career playing teen daughters in crisis. Rounding out the main three actresses is Meaghan Rath who is now staring as the resident ghost in the Americanized version of ‘Being Human’. In each case these three young women bring a professionalism and style to the proceedings.