Cyber Bullying – a Growing Problem

There has been an immense uprise in online bullying. You have probably noticed this, but why has the amount spiked so much in recent years, and why is it so popular on social media sites? And for the people getting bullied, a massive effect that comes from this is depression which can lead to much worse. We can help end cyberbullying. People choose to abuse these sites and bully, and that percentage of people is increasing, but there are ways to protect yourself from this.

To start with, let’s define what social media sites are supposed to be used for. On these sites people are supposed to share things with friends, find recipes, research, watch entertainment, discover some great places to eat, and etcetera. These are things that people do all the time and social media sites make that a lot easier, but what happens when people misuse them and don’t use it for things that can help them out? And instead, bully? That's when we start to have a problem. People do things like comment on a picture saying hurtful things like, “You’re so ugly!” or even, “Kill yourself.” If you read enough of those comments you start to believe it. The rate of bullying in school ranges from 9% to 98% among different studies.

That goes to show that among those many studies there hasn’t been a percentage lower than 9% which in itself is a huge problem but what if we add in that the average for traditional bullying is 35% and the average for cyberbullying is 15% and now that use of social media is increasing, what else will go along with that? More cases of cyberbullying in schools. Now, let's understand why this is such a huge problem and a tremendous factor would be the effects of being bullied. The first one would be things like they can’t sleep which would affect focus in school because they are thinking about what had happened which leads to anxiety, then depression. Cyberbullying doesn’t just take a toll on mental health but physical health too, such as headaches and stomach aches. If the bullying is bad enough that could push the person into deep depression which can lead to suicide. And the problem is worse in middle school because the average of students being bullied is 24%.

What about why the amount of Cyberbullying has increased while the person being bullied doesn’t know who the person bullying them is half the time! Which means they are less likely to be caught and is a “Better choice” for the bully. More advances are happening in social media websites. Technology is way more accessible now. Its also becoming a top priority so kids can call their parents, contact people, and chat with friends. They can also research and look up things. All they have to do is reach into their pocket and grab their phone, and they can do all of that. Plus with online websites or apps you can make a fake identity or just keep yours unknown. People usually bully on pictures of the person and can hide their identity. A lot more people have been using it, and studies show that social media sites can improve grades. But with all of that how can you help the bullying come to a halt… stand up to them! Screenshot what you can of the bullying and report it. Always help the kid person being bullied, hang out with them. But of course how can you protect yourself from cyberbullying? First, don’t post anything that will embarrass anyone and always be kind. Try to be aware of who is seeing your posts. Keep your password secret. Make sure your parents know what you’re doing. And if you are getting bullied just report it.

After reading this, hopefully you learned what the cyberbullying is, what the effects from it is, how you can help stop bullying, and of course how to protect yourself from cyberbullying.

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