Bullying has been a problem for many years because people would experience negative or mean behavior directed at them, which was especially prevalent in environments such as schools. Cyberbullying, however, is a new issue that emerged as a result of communication technology development, where people use the Internet to behave in a similar negative manner. The difference is that with cyberbullying, mean comments can come from acquaintances or strangers. The development of social media has an adverse effect on the prevalence of cyberbullying and its impact on people’s mental health.
The main questions that a reader may have when exploring the topic of cyberbullying are connected to the attention dedicated to the subject in recent years. anti-cyberbullying campaigns and programs that aim to raise awareness about the issue, educate parents, schoolchildren, students and the general population about the dangers of cyberbullying are common. The main concern here is the safety and wellbeing of vulnerable populations that are subjected to cyberbullying, mainly schoolchildren. The governmental projects, for example, “Stop Bullying,” report that in 2017 approximately 15% of bullying reports were attributed to cyberbullying (“What is Cyberbullying”).
This answers another question regarding the necessity to make a distinction between cyberbullying and bullying. Cyberbullying is connected to the Internet and digital devices, which are difficult to control. Therefore, the two differ significantly, and each issue requires special attention in the form of raising awareness and implementing policies that allow reporting and punishing such behavior because the existing laws mainly focus on bullying.
Next, it is necessary to define the terms that are discussed cyberbullying. The notion itself refers to bullying that takes place in the digital space. The governmental initiative “Stop Bullying” defines it as “sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else” (“What is Cyberbullying”). Another term that will be used in this paper is social media, which are different types of online websites and mobile applications, allowing people to share personal information. Finally, mental health is an individual’s well-being in terms of psychological health, which includes the way he or she feels about themselves or others. These terms will help one with understanding the connection between cyberbullying and mental health.
Cyberbullying is a part of a more general issue – bullying, which has been a problem in our society for decades. However, the rapid development of technology allows people to use new forms of communication – online messaging, social media, and others. With this transformation of the way people communicate, bullying transformed and became cyberbullying. Now, this harmful behavior invaded the online space, with people leaving mean comments under posts, videos, or photos of others.
The most significant danger of cyberbullying is that it can affect children, who do not know how to address it or protect themselves from these harassments. Many children have access to smartphones and laptops, which grants them access to the online space. Moreover, the digitalization of education within the United States, in general, makes it necessary to use online resources for studies. However, this access is not always supervised by an adult, and thus a child can come across behavior such as cyberbullying. Although adults can also struggle with addressing bullying or overcoming the harmful effects of it, children are especially vulnerable. It can be challenging for them to distinguish this behavior and report it to adults.
Many of the well-known websites established policies that allow reporting cyberbullying or other harmful behavior. Although helpful, this does not resolve the issue altogether. For the purposes of protecting one’s mental health, individuals should use the “report” feature as well as other tools – such as blocking individuals on social media or restricting access to personal content. In the case of children, it is vital for parents to teach them how to recognize bullying and how to report it to a teacher, parent, or another adult. These simple steps can serve as a form of protection from most cyberbullying activities.
Social media and its use among the younger population increase the cases of cyberbullying. Mainly, social media allows sharing personal details about one’s life, such as photos or texts. While most people intend to share this with their friends and family members, the easy access to this personal information allows cyberbullies to leave negative comments. The main problem here is that most people leave their social media profiles open because they want to share their thoughts and life experiences with others. Cyberbullies use this opportunity to express negativity, and because these interactions happen online, it is easier for someone to become a cyberbully.
The specifics of online social media platforms allow for a larger number of bullies to thrive. With these websites, it is not obligatory to leave personalized information, such as name or hometown, which provides individuals with a sense of anonymity. Due to the fact that these bullies will not face confrontation in real life, they think that they can say something mean. Moreover, they will not be held accountable for their actions, so they feel the freedom to carry on with this behavior. As a result, the online space has an enormous number of cyberbullies.
The main concern of cyberbullying is mental health and the adverse impact that cyberbullying has on one’s wellbeing. In the past, a person would encounter bullying in a particular setting, most commonly at school. They could remove themselves from this situation, at least temporarily, by going home and having no contact with the bully. Cyberbullying, however, is different because it follows an individual regardless of where they are.
Such constant pressure and inability to escape the situation can lead to severe mental health problems such as anxiety, distorted perception of oneself, and other issues that can be a result of this impact. Currently, many online resources explain the specifics of cyberbullying and can help a person overcome it. However, in some cases, it is crucial to get help from a professional to address the concerns of self-esteem and pressure that are a result of cyberbullying.
Overall, cyberbullying remains to be a significant problem in contemporary society. Although it has some similarities with bullying, the specifics of it make cyberbullying a distinct issue. Mainly, access to online websites, especially when considering children, cannot be easily restricted. Next, social media allows sharing a large amount of personal information, which cyberbullies can use to express their negative thoughts. The anonymity and lack of accountability result is a large number of cyberbullies. The main concern is the impact that this occurrence has on one’s mental health. A person can develop a variety of mental health issues, such as anxiety or self-esteem issues as a result of cyberbullying.
Work Cited
“What is Cyberbullying.” Stop Bullying, 2019. Web.