Cyberbullying And Suicide Essay

Cyberbullying is a relatively new threat, and it is very similar to traditional bullying. Despite the fact that cyberbullying and traditional bullying both share the common goal of harassment, cyberbullying differs from traditional bullying in that it does not stop at the schoolyard, and can continue when the victim is far away from the aggressor. It is just as devastating as common bullying, and sometimes is even more damaging. Professors Sameer Hinduja and Justin W. Patchin note in their journal, “Cyberbullying Creates Dangerous Stress and Anxiety”, that cyberbullying affects anywhere between 10-40% of students (contingent on their age group) (par. 1). J.D. Kelly A. Albin, in her article “Bullies in a Wired World”, defines cyberbullying as “…the ‘willful and repeated harm inflicted through use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices’” (157). It is caused by the fact that children feel their actions are mitigated when they use social media, as it creates the illusion of indirectness, and its effects range anywhere from mild depression to suicide.

Social media has been known to help students develop important knowledge and social skills. “At first glance this may seem like a waste of time; however it also helps students to develop important knowledge and social skills, and be active citizens who create and share content.” (Chen 3). The more time teens spend on social media the more they become aware of their own social side and how to interact with others, especially their peers. “Some types of social media has beneficial effects, like helping adolescents establish some sense of identity and build networking skills” (Riley Davis). Too much time being spent on social media can also exploit teens to some harsh realities that they’ve probably never experienced in their lives before.

At 6 p.m., October 10, 2012, fifteen year old Amanda Todd hung herself after she posted a gripping video called, “My Story:Struggling,bullying, suicide,and self harm” after being harassed and bullied online for many years. While she was in the 7th grade, Amanda Todd had an online video conversation with someone who asked her to flash her breasts, which she eventually did. After one year, she was contacted by the same person who threatened to post her pictures on the Internet if she didn’t provide more provocative pictures. Even though she refused to send pictures to him, her pictures were sent to her family and friends. Despite switching schools, the cyber bullying continued and a Facebook page of her with the picture of her breasts as the profile picture was created. Even though Amanda tried to kill herself by drinking bleach, the abuse was too much, so she hung herself (Pendergrass and Wright,in press). Some questions to address with cyberbullying related suicides are: how do we define and recognize cyberbullying, how do we protect those who are cyberbullied, and how do we educate parents and other adults to protect children and adolescents from cyberbullying? With electronic communication becoming so prevalent, we cannot afford to ignore the increasing dangers of the societal shift from a traditional schoolyard bully to to the anonymous cyberbully. Children and adolescents deserve to be protected, parents and teachers need to understand the risks that cyber bullying

The 21st Century is roaring, and the use of technology sweeps across the nation like a pandemic. The American lifestyle is being consumed by electronics. Due to the increase of technology, childhood is rapidly transforming and evolving. No longer do children only thrive in fresh air and on playdates, but also with tech savvy gadgets and computers. Children are currently part of a digital generation that has sprouted in a world immersed in technology and the internet, and they are utilizing cell phones, tablets, e-readers and computers every day. Furthermore, because technology is becoming a dominant part in childhood, cyberbullying among children is also increasing. Suicide rates among middle and high school students have increased in the past 15 years due to cyberbullying through social media and direct messaging.

Today’s youth are often led to do and say crueler things compared to what is done and said in a typical traditional face-to-face bullying situation, due to the separation effect technology devices have (Donegan, 2012). Technology now offers the ability to make fake profile pages on social media sites, and the use of applications which provides fake telephone number, both of which facilitate cyberbullies. Like traditional bullying, cyberbullying is associated with several negative impacts that many parents should be aware of since many allow their children to use the internet and have cell phones.

The most dangerous thing that technology could influence in the adolescent behavior is cyberbullying. Cyberbullying causes bad behavior because of kids who bully others online. Cyberbullying is a type of bullying that is done online by intimidating or threatening other people. Comments that are said online are easier to say since it stays forever online and never goes away. There was a study that was done, and the study talked about how cyberbullying could affect the behavior of teens. Ten studies found a statistically significant association between cyberbullying and report of depression (Lotrean et al). This displays that depression is a factor to how they act toward the cyberbullying done to them. The results also underline that the responses to cyberbullying are most often passive, due to lack of awareness or confidence that anything can be done demonstrating adolescent who uses technology has a bigger opportunity to hurt kids knowing that people do not really care (Lotrean et al). Which causes their not fully developed mind to be damage.

What is cyberbullying? “Cyberbullying is intentional and repeated harm inflicted on people through the use of computers, cellular phones, and other electronic devices” (Cyberbullying 1). The use of technology today has greatly increased, and it is causing problems within the states. Schools are becoming more technological, and some schools even provide students with electronic devices. Four in ten teens have been bullied online, and girls are more likely to be victimized, rather the boys (Phillips). Online social media keeps growing, and it is causing cyberbullying to become more popular. “Nationally, 14.8 percent of students experienced online bullying, According to a 2013 study by the Centers for Disease Control

All around the world, the internet is being used daily by kids. People in the UK can have a complete conversation with a person in Utah with just a click of a button. A housewife can go on line and search for an answer to almost any problem she has but she does not think of the dangers. Innocent people have been kidnapped and even killed by being researched through social networks. Anywhere a person is a threat can loom over them. Kids today spend most of their time on social networks, posting their life story on networks such as Instagram and Twitter. They do not see the pain that they can be exposed to; they think no one can hurt them on line. Cyberbullying, one of the newer forms of bullying that occurs through technology, has caused intense consequences for the unsuspecting victims.

Since the late 1960s and early 1970s, computer scientists have improved the accessibility of the internet to all people. Technology has continuously improved through the introduction of computer programming and coding and the use of cellular devices. Today, anyone can have access to internet through the various forms of technology such as cell phones, computers, laptops, tablets, smart watches, etc. Over the past 15 years, the internet has begun to incorporate itself into education by allowing students to perform research more efficiently and have more interactive learning through the use of educational websites, Smart Boards, etc. Accordingly, not only has the internet greatly impacted education making it more interesting, but it has also impacted domestic lives. Parents now have an easier way for their children to learn online at earlier ages through educational websites and online learning programs, such as Starfall and ABCMouse. Children, from ages as young as three years old to teenagers, have learned to operate the internet. Although children have developed this knowledge, consequently, many have failed to learn the repercussions of their actions when inappropriately using the internet. One of the most common repercussions one can often face is bullying through the internet, entitled as cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is defined as verbally harming an individual or group by anonymously or non-anonymously posting harmful information through the internet. The percentage

Cyberbullying occurs when technology is used to tamper with, abuse, shame, or target another person online. It is usually a problem that happens among adolescents but when adults are involved it can become a crime that can possibly lead to prison time. Most victims are terrified to report that they were bullied, making it nearly impossible to report the number of people affected. Recent studies have shown that 25% of teens are victims of cyberbullying and 16.67% have admitted that they have cyberbullied another person. The advancement of technology in our society has inevitably brought a rise to cyberbullying, which can now happen anytime and victims can be oppressed from thousands of miles away. The sheer convenience that the internet now offers to bullies allows them to harass victims with just a tap of a keyboard. Experts have recorded that there is a general increase in suicidal thoughts, attempts, and completions from both cyberbullying victims along with the bullies themselves. Some signs of cyberbullying are; “being very secretive or protected of one's digital life, avoiding school or group gatherings, and being nervous or jumpy when getting an instant message, text, or email.” Parents can help their child if they are being cyberbullied by communicating to them and comforting them. Parents should also boost their kids by telling them it's not their fault and they also make them feel less lonely.

Teens and young adults today are faced with many dangers online. Cyberbullying occurs not only at home, but in schools as well and can lead to the extreme, such as suicide. Psychologist Felise Levine states that, “Fifty percent of suicides in youth are the result of bullying” (Scherer 35). In fact, cell phones are normally where most cyberbullying occurs and majority of young people own one. Considering messages are sent spread quickly and can be sent at any time of day, whether at school or home, a bigger audience has the opportunity to watch the bullying occur (Scherer 12-13). Cyberbullying can be so destructive that some teens and young people would rather die than get bullied (Rowell 8). For example, Rebecca Sedwick was twelve when she committed suicide. Before her death she received messages

Visualize sitting in front of a computer and checking your emails. In less than a couple of minutes being battered with horrible messages continuously. This is called cyberbullying; a type of bullying that takes place communicating electronically to subdue, blackmail, or agonize a person. A multitude of adolescents battle with this unbearable situation on a day by day basis and let it take place without doing something about it. The rapid advancement of technology has increased immensely allowing young people to roam around social sites, texting, and emailing with minimal restriction. The internet can be accessed anywhere, at

Life should be the creation of beauty, happiness, and sincerity, however, our generation has allowed these values to decrease through the form of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is when someone uses technology to threaten, harass, embarrass, or target another person publicly (New, 2012). The technologies that are starting to be used are no longer just computer, however, has expanded to phones, tablets, and even game systems (New, 2012). By definition, cyberbullying is used to describe the misuse of technology between children (New, 2012). The definition of cyberbullying is not interchangeable when referring to adults and children. When an adult misuse the internet to hurt others, this is considered as cyber- harassment or cyber stalking,

We use technology in almost every aspect of our daily lives; it is how we stay connected in this fast-paced world. Technology provides many benefits, but it has the potential to destroy many people. With technology use on the rise, bullying has taken a new, more destructive form. Cyberbullying, as defined by the Cyberbullying Research Center, is the willful and repeated harm inflicted through the medium of electronic text (qtd. in Chait). Cyberbullying is a serious problem and has serious consequences.

It is no news that, the steady and overwhelming advancements in technology, have made our past and present lives so much easier, and have also filled our posterity with enduring hope and promises. However, the changes and innovations in social networking and social media, have immensely changed our modes and methods of communication. Keeping in mind that, every new level, has new devils and difficulties that needs to be conquered; Similarly, the idol, that is social media, worshipped by both teenagers and adolescents, poses a lot of problems which have been overlooked by parents and most individuals today. For this reason, it is very consequential that parents become cognizant of the nature of social media environments, for children and adolescents, to monitor for potential problems like cyberbullying, Facebook depression, gaming addictions, sexting, online harassment and inappropriate content.