What is cyberbullying?
As far as we know, cyberbullying is the act of using technology to harass, threaten, embarrass, or target another person. Through threats online, rude and aggressive text messages, and posting personal information (including texts and pictures) the purpose of cyberbullying is to ultimately hurt someone else.
A lot of cyberbullying revolves around posting things that one wouldn’t want the whole world to lay their eyes on. For example, you may send a picture of yourself to someone you trust, but that person may post that online without your permission. You may then ask them to take it down, but because they are cyberbullying – they refuse. Another scenario may be if you send a picture to someone, they threaten to post it. By blackmailing you into giving them something, you’re trying to save yourself from embarrassment and humiliation. In other words, one form of cyberbullying is through posting and blackmailing, which ultimately aims to embarrass or scare you one way or another.
Another form of cyberbullying is through personally attacking the individual. By making horrible comments on gender, religion, sexual orientation, race, or any other physical/mental qualities, this type of cyberbullying aims to discriminate against you for who you are. Discrimination is illegal in most parts of the world, and the police could potentially get involved if this went too far. If someone discriminates against you for who you are, through social media and technology, it would also factor into the whole concept of cyberbullying.
So why do people do it?
There are about 3 possible scenarios for why a cyberbully may do what they do.
Number 1 could be “A joke that went too far”. This may occur when a person didn’t mean to “cyberbully” you, but it just started out as a joke that crossed the line.
Number 2 could be “A bully that was bullied. This may occur when the bully used to be tormented themselves and wanted to retaliate. They may have wanted others to feel as bad as they felt, and to go through all the pain and suffering they did.
Number 3 may be, “Personal Hatred”. This method occurs when the cyberbully has a problem with you in the physical or virtual world. Something you said or did, may have infuriated them, causing a spark of revenge. We never know why people cyberbully or just spread hatred in general, but these are 3 main possibilities.
So what should we do about it?
Tell someone. If you ever find yourself as the victim of cyberbullying, one of the most important things to keep in mind is – Do not be afraid to seek help. One of the best and most effective things you can do is to tell someone you trust. Regardless of who it is, whether it is a parent, guardian, friend, coach, teacher, guidance counselor, or even the police – tell someone who you can trust. Many children and teens who find themselves in this situation may feel embarrassed or reluctant to speak up, but that is why the bullying progresses into something much worse.
Walk away. Being the victim of a cyberbullying situation can be stressful and alarming. When you see something that personally upsets you online, distress and negativity may fill up inside of you. A great thing that you can do in that situation is to turn off the computer or put down the phone. You should go do something you love, like playing a sport or hanging out with a friend, so that you can take your mind off of the situation. Having a calm mind will definitely help you proceed to take the next steps.
Report & Block the bully. Many apps on the internet have the option to report and block certain people online. This gives you the prime opportunity to exit yourself from the bullying situation. When you report and/or block someone online, the administrator cuts off all means of communication between you and that person.
To conclude, let’s summarize. being the victim of cyberbullying can be a distressing situation to find yourself in. Whether it is through posts or threats, this method of bullying aims to ultimately humiliate the individual. There are great ways to combat this negativity; Such as by speaking up about it, walking away, and blocking the bully. Technology is advancing each and every day, and cyberbullying is one of the negative effects of all these technological advancements.