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The Negative Effects of Cyberbullying Essays

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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. There are many contributing factors to cyberbullying. Children and young adults have almost infinite access to social networking sites, chat forums, and cell phones. It is hard to find a middle school age child without access to …show more content…

Cyberbullying occurs around the clock and everyone is able to witness the harassment when it is published online. This type of bullying has the potential to lead to many health problems in an individual. Victims of cyberbullying are more likely to turn to drugs or alcohol at a young age to escape the pain they are feeling (“Cyberbullying”). This type of behavior changes the person through and through. They are now dependent on a substance to subside their pain that has been inflicted on them. Another health problem that has been linked to cyberbullying is having abdominal pains and headaches (Drummond). These victims have so much anxiety due to the torture they are facing their bodies are reacting in an unhealthy way. Insomnia has also been connected to this type of bullying (Drummond). This may be because adolescents are unaware of when another rumor or piece of private information about them is going to be published. 34% of teenagers are said to be the victims of cyberbullying in a study conducted by Finnish researchers which shows that these victims are more likely to have abdominal pains, and suffer from insomnia (Drummond). If the bullying continues more problems are likely to develop in the individual, physically or mentally. Cyberbullying can also lead to behavioral problems. Younger children may begin to act out in school or

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