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JessicaFahmy
Mrs.Stegner
ERWC
17February2016
TheElectronicAge
Withalloftheaccesstotechnology,thisnewgenerationgrewupusingelectronic
devicesandsocialmediastartingfromayoungage.Socialmediawebsiteshavemanybenefits
andadvantagessuchasbringingpeopleclosertogether,givingpeopletheabilitytocontacttheir
friendsatanymoment,andgivingpeopleachancetoexpresstheiropinions.However,the
internetoffersaspaceforsomeonetobullyandharassanother.Peopleusuallythinktheycan
bullysomeoneonlinebecausetheywontbeheldaccountableorresponsibleforwhattheysaid.
Theythinksobecausetheideaofpolicingtheinternetisanimpossibletasktodo.
Cyberbullyingisamajorglobalproblemthatexistsintodayssocietyandshouldbeaddressedas
soonaspossible.
Anyformofbullyingishurtfulbutseemstobemoreharmfulwhenitsdone
anonymouslyonline.Peopleoftenfinditeasiertobullysomeoneonlinebecausetheyarenotin
directcontactwiththatperson.Aseriesofwebsites,suchasask.fm,areverysusceptiblefor
userstobebullied.Thesewebsitesallowotherstoaskanyquestionordisplayanycomment
anonymouslyatanyuserspage.Notonlythat,thewebsiteisopenforthepublictosee.The
anonimousityofask.fmmakesitsoeasyforchildrentobecrueltooneanotherbut
somehowcommonplacetokidsinadigitalage(Your).Victimsfromtheseonlinebullying
websitesdontknowwhothebullyis,whetheritssomeonefromtheirschoolorsomeonethey

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nevermetbefore.Thescarythingabouttheinternetisthatatanymomentonecanbedeceived
byafakeprofile.Notonlythat,havingthesehatefulcommentsonayounguserspagecanbe
hauntingandhumiliating.Also,peoplemightfinditappealingtoexplorewhatsitliketohave
powerandcontroloversomeone.Theanonymityofcyberbullyingmaycausestudentswho
normallywouldnotbullyinthetraditionalphysicalwaystoengageinthebehaviorinthedigital
realm(Poland).Cyberbullyinginfluencespeopletobully.Forexample,ifyouscrolldownthe
pageonYoutube,peopleusuallydisplaytheiropinionandifsomeonedoesntlikewhatthe
otherssaidorfindsitcontroversial.Theywillattackthatpersonbecausetheydontagreewith
hisorherperspective.Peopledontfearwhattheysayonline,theytendtocurse,attack,and
threatenotherpeopleonadailybasis.Peopleoftenarenotafraidtosaywhat'sontheirmind
onlinebecausetheyknowthatitsextremelydifficultforthemtobetrackeddowntotake
responsibilityfortheiractions(Your).Policingsocialmediawebsitesisanimpossibletaskto
achievebecauseManypeopleintheworldtodayhaveaccesstosometypeoftechnologydevice
toaccesstheinternetandarenotafraidtostatetheiropinionloudandclear.Mostcomments
comefromaprofilewithnoonesrealname,makingitincrediblydifficulttoknowwhothe
personbehindthescreenreallyis.RecentlyFacebookmadeallaccountsdisplaytherealnameof
thepersonsprofileduetotheincreaseofcyberbullying.AccordingtoSaadiaMuzaffar,the
anonymityoftheinternetenablespeopletoattemptwhatitfeelsliketobeabully(Teitel).There
aretwosidestoeachcomputerscreenoneofthebullyandoneofthevictim.Usuallybothroles
attackoneanotherwithoutworryingabouttheconsequencesofwhattheyarecausing.The
internetwillneverbeasafeplaceunlessanonymityisbanned.
Adultsupervisionprovidedeitherbyparentsorschooladministratorsiscrucially

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importanttoprotectvictimsfrombeingbullied.Fewparentsforbidtheirchildrenfromhaving
socialmediapagesandOnly41percentofmothersand30percentoffatherssaidthey
frequentlytalkwiththeirteenaboutwhatisappropriateandinappropriateonlinebehavior
(Your).Thislowrateshouldincreasedramatically.Manychildrenstartingatayounghave
accesstosocialmediaandiftheyarenottaughthowtouseitresponsiblytheywillmorelikely
becomecyberbullies.Bulliestendtoliketoseetheirvictimssuffer,whetherphysicallyor
mentally.Usuallyonlinevictimssuffermentallybecausebulliesusuallymocktheirappearance
andselfimage,makingthevictimfeelworthlessandinsecure.Parentsshouldboosttheir
childrensselfimageandconfidencebecausetheyusuallygrowupconcernedabouttheironline
image,theirsocialmediafriends,andtheirdesiretocopycelebritiesjustinordertofitin
(Generation).Todaymanypeoplebullyothersbecausetheydontfitinorhavetheirownunique
perspective.Thereisdefinitelynotaproblemtobeuniquebutkidsusuallybullyiftheyhavean
opportunitytodoso.Usuallyparentsandadministratorscannotrelatetothisnewwayto
bullyingsotheyoftencannotofferadviceorknowhowtoaddressit.Anewprogramofferedfor
parentscalledtheCyberFriendlyParents'ProjectconductedbytheChildHealthPromotion
ResearchCentreatEdithCowanUniversityinWesternAustraliarespondstoanexpressed
needforparentstobetterunderstandandhelptheirchildrenusesocialnetworkingservices
safely(Robinson).Thisprogramhelpsparentsunderstandandaddresscyberbullying
problems.BasedonthesuccessoftheCyberFriendlyParentsProjectsresults,ifreplicated,
parentswillunderstandandensureanareaofcybersafetyandcyberbullyingfreeenvironment.
Concerningcyberbullyinginschools,cyberbullyinglawsgiveschoolsunlimitedauthorityover
students'onlineactivitywhenever,wherever,andhoweveritoccurs(Suski).Thisensures

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studentswithasafeandbullyfreeenvironmentintheircommunity.Lawhelpspolice
cyberbullyingasmallamountbutanystepisclosertotherightdirection.Parentsand
administratorshaveamajorjobtoensuretheprotectionofmanyminorsonline.
Cyberbullyingcanleadtoseriousconsequencessuchasdepression,stress,low
selfesteem,selfharm,andsuicide.Selfesteemisathemajorproblemamonggirlswithcyber
bullying.Manygirlscomparethemselvestoothergirlsbyseeinghowmanylikesthey'vegoton
theirposts,howmanyfollowersorfriendstheyhave,wherethey'vebeen,theirbodyshape,and
theirpopularity.Comparingthemselvestoothergirlslowerstheirselfesteemandmakesthem
feelworthless.Theynolongeracceptthemselvesforwhotheyare(Generation).Girlsare
constantlytryingtochangehowtheylookjustinordertofitin.Howeverbullies,trytomake
themfeelinsecureabouttheirselfimage.Girlscanbecrueltooneanotherandnotknowthat
theyarecreatingpermanentpsychologicalhealthissues.Everyonewantsselfrespectandrespect
fromothers,sothesegirlsgetoutoftheirwaytotrytoperfectthemselves.Thereisalsoaclear
connectionbetweencyberbullyingandsuicide.Lately,there'sbeenmanyselfharmandsuicide
storiesrelatedtocyberbullying.Manyincidentsoccurredfromearlyteenstoearlyteens.Itis
definitelyacrimeifitcausesmanydeathsbasedonrace,gender,color,power,physical
appearance,sexuality,andsocialclass(Introduction).Itsdefinitelydevastatingtohearabout
someonecommittingsuicidebecausetheywerebulliedonline.Thisishowseriouscyberbullying
reallyis.Cyberbullyingcreatesgrieveofthepassedonesfamilyandfriends.Notonlythat,this
electronicagecausesmanystudentstostopstudyingtotrytoavoiddirectcontactwiththebully.
Anywherefromonethirdtoonehalfofyouthshavebeentargetedbycyberbullies.Andthose
experiencesproducedamagingconsequenceseverythingfromadeclineinacademic

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performancetothoughtsaboutsuicide.(Holladay)Manyconsequencesmightoccurdueto
cyberbullyingandifnotaddressed,peoplewillcontinuetoharmthemselvesbecausetheycanno
longerdealwithit.Forabullytobringsomeonetokillthemselvesisjusthorrifying.Cyber
bullyingisintenseandcausesmanylivestosuffer.Effectsofcyberbullyingdon'tonlyaffect
teensoradults,butalsomiddleschoolers.Resultsshowthatanupwardsof2,000middleschool
studentsrevealedthatcyberbullyingvictimswerenearlytwiceaslikelytoattemptsuicide
comparedtostudentsnottargetedwithonlineabuse(Holladay).Suiciderateshavedramatically
increasedintheUnitedStatesduetocyberbullying.Bulliesofsuicidevictimsshouldbetreated
ascriminalsandbeseverelypunishedtoavoidthelossofmanylives.Drasticmeasuresmustbe
takentostopcyberbullyingglobally.
Cyberbullyingisaproblemthatisincreasingdailywiththemanycontroversialtopicsin
theworldtoday.Asteptotherightdirectioniscrucialtosavemanylives.Thewebsitesand
channelsthataremeantforcommunicationarenolongerasafeplacetofeelfree.Ourjobisto
bekindtooneanotheronlineandfacetoface.Spreadingpeaceandkindnesswillhelpsave
manylives.

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