Cyberbullying and Suicide

Technology can be helpful by allowing people to keep in contact with old friends, and it can aid people to communicate with one another. A few different types of technology are iPhones, iPads, and laptops, which improve our communication by phone, text, facetime, and email. As more developments in technology happen, beneficial and harmful situations can happen to the users. One extremely harmful problem online that can happen is cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is online bullying. Three effects of cyberbullying include depression, lower performance in school, and withdrawal from social media.

Cyberbullying is the use of mean and hurtful sayings or posts on the internet. Cyberbullying can be used anywhere such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, or even email. Cyberbullying is hurtful, and it can harm children or teens. People can post rumors or nasty images about a person on social media. When teens gang up on a kid or teen by sending thousands of unwanted nasty text messages, it causes children to feel emotional distress and mentally break down. Not only does cyberbullying include posting mean comments, but also it could lead to serious emotional issues. Sometimes people can feel depressed because of cyberbullying. People feel depressed because they are getting teased or bullied. People have suicidal thoughts and actions when they feel depressed. Suicide is the third most caused for death. As the pressure greatens, some teens may take their own life. There are about 4,400 known cases of suicidal thoughts because of bullying. Teens start to lash out at their parents by saying mean or hurtful words to them online. The victims of bullying do not want their parents to get involved out of fear of being further teased and harassed by their peers. Dr. Andre Sourander from Reuters says, “that a child who is cyberbullied early in life will have depression later on in there life and need treatment.” Twenty percent of those who are bullied as children have a mental health problem. They often feel this way because their brain allows them to think they are less than worthy, everything is their fault, and they deserve this harassment. As children and teens feel depressed and upset, they often show less interest in other aspects of their life, such as their grades and school performance.

Cyberbullying can happen anywhere and anytime. Online bullying can happen through email, Instagram, and Snapchat. Forty percent of girls get cyberbullied every month. Forty- seven percent of teens receive nasty text or hurtful text on Instagram every year. Social media is a large platform that many teens that teens use daily. One in six parents know their children are getting bullied on social media, but they do not know what to do about it. Snapchat is ranked third with thirty-one percent of children getting unkind, hateful comments. In the United States, twelve out of eighteen students reported getting cyberbullied in the last month. Many parents want to take away social media from there children because of the cyberbullying their child or their peers receive. Contrary to their beliefs, that is not the right move. Parents should go straight to the school or police about situations like cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying plays a role in depression and lower performance at school. Cyberbullying takes action on social media. Bullying is a nationwide problem, and it can affect people in different ways. Not only does bullying lead to depression, but it can also lead to stress, which takes a major toll on children that are getting bullied. Cyberbullying, also bullying in general, needs to be taken more seriously and more action needs to be taken. 

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