Cyberbullying

This is a project about cyberbullying. Cyberbullying has always been one of the social phenomena that came to my attention in my media studies. I would like to publish blogs through my research combined with virtual diaries of a virtual victim to show the occurrence of cyberbullying, the dangerous threats cyberbullying poses to people, the characteristics of digital media technology, and the groups that are more vulnerable to cyberbullying.

Research

The emergence of cyberbullying occurred with the rise of the Internet. When the Internet has gradually become an indispensable existence in people’s daily life, people will use the Internet to accomplish various things. For example, video conferencing, social media, and keeping in touch with relatives and friends. These Internet technologies are very fast and convenient to use. It can accomplish many things that cannot be done face-to-face or physically. Among them, Internet technology allows people to send messages to people who want to interact anytime and anywhere. This feature gives many bad people with bad ideas the opportunity to harass others.

According to Emma, “With a single click, bullies can also send private information to large groups at once. This information, which can include inappropriate images and revenge porn, can be easily shared. Sometimes, teens will share passwords, allowing them to spread damaging information through drafts.” (Emma, 2018)

Bullies can transmit harmful information to people so easily. Because generally speaking, in modern society, almost anyone has their own mobile phone or a device that can receive information. Sometimes, we cannot prevent our mobile phones from receiving messages from strangers. With the ability to send and receive text messages at any time, victims often cannot escape their cruel experience of being bullied for a long time. Although the current social media provides the function of actively blocking the information of specific people, it is often difficult to prevent. People will always be bullied by the Internet when they don’t expect it.

Source:

Emma. (2018, January 25). Where Does Cyberbullying Happen? LearnSafe. Retrieved from https://learnsafe.com/where-does-cyberbullying-happen/

Sometimes Internet technology can make users “transparent.” For example, some Internet technologies are used for social networking, people tend to post pictures of themselves with friends or their daily lives on it. This gives the bully an opportunity to monitor the victim. These bullies often do not immediately send insulting messages to the victim but obtain the victim’s information by using the transparent surveillance provided by the Internet. The extremely dangerous thing is that they can sometimes even find the victim’s family address and personal information of their relatives and friends. However, the victim often does not know the information about the bully. These bullies seem to be anonymous when they conduct cyberbullying.

According to Emma, “the anonymity of social media platforms makes them think they can speak freely or post any content they want without any consequences. As the number of social media platforms grows, bullies will have more and more opportunities to intimidate their victims.” (Emma, 2018)

Source:

Emma. (2018, January 25). Where Does Cyberbullying Happen? LearnSafe. Retrieved from https://learnsafe.com/where-does-cyberbullying-happen/

Why is cyberbullying so common among young people? According to a study by the University of Georgia, higher social media addiction scores, more hours spent online, and identifying as male significantly predicted cyberbullying perpetration in adolescents. (Kao, 2021)

Generally speaking, teenagers are the main audience of Internet media. Because they were exposed to an era of stable development of science and technology for a long time, they have high adaptability to modern science and technology. It is this adaptability that allows them to spend a lot of their day on social media and browsing Internet media. Because of this, they are more susceptible to cyberbullying or becoming bullies. They are so familiar with the Internet.

According to Kao, “Teenagers who are addicted to social media are more likely to engage in cyberbullying, as well as those who spend more time online. Participants in the study reported spending on average over seven hours online per day, and the reported average maximum hours spent online in one day was over 12 hours.” (Kao. 2021)

Teenagers are so addicted to the Internet that they often cannot stop themselves from looking at their mobile phones. They sometimes portray themselves as what they want to be on social media instead of being themselves completely. Because they believe that the Internet can provide them with a “screen” without others knowing what they really are. When teenagers go online, they adapt to a set of social norms that are different from when they interact face-to-face with their peers. Generally, they are more offensive or critical on social media because of their anonymity online and their ability to avoid retaliation. In addition, cyberbullies may feel less remorse or empathy when performing these behaviors because they cannot see the direct impact of their behavior. This will bring more painful experiences and encounters to the victims.

Source:

Kao, K. (2021, March 30). Social media addiction linked to cyberbullying. UGA Today; University of Georgia. Retrieved from https://news.uga.edu/social-media-addiction-linked-to-cyberbullying/

Some people think that the phenomenon of cyberbullying may not happen to some people. However, a teenage boy who looks very strong and sunny on Facebook may be suffering from cyberbullying and thinking of suicide. The targets of the bully are usually very random, or they may be due to personal reasons.

Cuncic mentioned in her article that cyberbullying might occur between two people who were previously friends or in relationships and may be triggered by conflicts in friendship or a breakdown in the relationship. This type of cyberbullying can be seen as driven by retaliation or jealousy. (Cuncic, 2021)

Some people may think that among the victims of cyberbullying, the proportion of women will be higher, but this is not the case.

According to Anderson, boys and girls are actually harassed at the same rate online, but girls are more likely to be the target of online rumors or involuntary dew point information. Teenage boys and girls are equally likely to experience cyberbullying. However, the specific types of harassment they encounter are somewhat different. In addition to these gender differences, teenagers from low-income families are more likely to experience certain forms of cyberbullying, such as physical threats, than teenagers from high-income families. (Anderson, 2018)

Everyone should pay attention to their safety on the Internet because cyberbullying often happens when you don’t expect it.

Source:

Cuncic, A. (2022, February 19). The Psychology of Cyberbullying. Verywell Mind. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/the-psychology-of-cyberbullying-5086615

Anderson, M. (2018, September 27). A Majority of Teens Have Experienced Some Form of Cyberbullying. Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/09/27/a-majority-of-teens-have-experienced-some-form-of-cyberbullying

Modern Internet technology makes it easier for young people to find their own groups or take the initiative to establish relationships on the Internet. These Internet technologies not only make it possible to communicate between friends and family, but a large part of their appeal is that they provide opportunities to meet new friends. They have an important place in the lives of young people. However, not everyone uses network technology to enrich their social circles and lives.

According to Luhtanen and Ellis, “for some young people, the Net is a vehicle for bullying and sexual harassment. The Internet offers a place where some users feel anonymous. One study found that 59% of users have assumed a different identity. Of those, 17% suggested that they pretended to be someone else so they could ‘act mean to people and not get into trouble.’” (Luhtanen & Ellis, 2012)

Many times the bully is not aware of the consequences of his actions. If, as Luhtanen said, bullies sometimes bully others in order to make themselves look less weak, this is unfair to the victim. If you just want to keep yourself out of trouble, then you must change yourself in some way instead of hurting others. In fact, in many cases, real cyber bullies will not bully others in real life. They can be anonymous on the Internet so they want to become cyberbullies because no one will find out.

Cuncic analyzed why people become cyberbullies from the perspective of psychology. These cyberbullies may have mental health problems, which are related to their bullying. Cyberbullies may also be those who feel lonely in society. If they feel ignored by others, they may use bashing as a way to feel better or vent their anger toward society. Or cyberbullies sometimes become bullies after experiencing cyberbullying. In this way, they may wish to have more control or lash out after feeling hurt and unable to retaliate against the initial bully. (Cuncic, 2021)

Mental health problems, withdrawn personalities, or bad experiences result in cyberbullies, which also shows that parents and schools should pay more attention to the psychological problems of young people. These problems can be solved, but once left alone, more people will be threatened by cyberbullying.

Source:

Luhtanen, M. & Ellis, L. (2012, November 15). Cyber Bullying: Bullying Through Technology. LawNow Magazine; Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta. Retrieved from https://www.lawnow.org/cyber-bullying-bullying-through-technology/

Cuncic, A. (2022, February 19). The Psychology of Cyberbullying. Verywell Mind. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/the-psychology-of-cyberbullying-5086615