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Cyberbullying Body Image

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In 1991, the world was graced with a brand-new invention- the World Wide Web. Since that time, more and more people have been able to access the internet. Every day, billions of people access the internet. With so many people being able to access this new source of connectivity came the rise of social media. In 2011, there were 1.2 billion people logging into social media sites on a daily basis. This number is up 6% from 2007 (Dijck, 2013).While social media helps to connect more people together than ever before it does have its dark side. With the rise of social media, the number of people being exposed to cyberbullying is increasing. These incidents of cyberbullying are leading to body image issues. Before we go further, it’s important to define a few terms. The first term that we’ll define is social …show more content…

Most people are familiar with the “traditional” form of bullying. Oftentimes it produces an image of someone at school threatening those that they deem weaker than them or harassing them either physically or emotionally. Cyberbullying is “willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices. As such, it covers a number of phenomena, including stalking, spreading rumors, impersonating victims, and anonymous online taunting to name a few”(Miller, 2017). Body image is “how you see yourself when you look in the mirror or when you picture yourself in your mind. It encompasses: what you believe about your own appearance (including your memories, assumptions, and generalizations;) how you feel about your body, including your height, shape and weight and how you sense and control your body as you move; and how you feel in your body, not just about your body” (National Eating Disorders Association, 2016). Traditionally, issues with body image have been seen a women’s issue. However, with the increase use of social media, more people are developing body image

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