The Impact of Cyber-bullying to children, teens and young adults

As a citizen and young adults in this new generation, I observed that new technology has a big impact in different kind of ages but as compared to the children, teens and young adults are more attached or affected of the new technology nowadays.

In this new generation, teens and young adults use technology more than ever before. Most of them use internet access to send instant messages to their family or friends, send videos online, keep personal profiles on social networking websites, share photos, and more. Many teens also have cell phones and other devices in which they mostly spend hour’s text-messaging friends. Technology allows all of us to communicate and has a great benefit for our daily life. However, it has also provided some people with the means to exploit the innocent, commit crimes, and inflict injury on others.

Picture taken from: https://www.theweeklyreview.com.au

This technology has allowed some teens to take the bullying online and that’s what we call it “Cyber Bullying” rather than the traditional bullying. Cyber bullying is using the Internet, cell phones, and video game systems, or other technology to send or post text or images intended to hurt or embarrass another person (www.stopcyberbullying.org).

Picture taken from: https://blogging.com/cyberbullying/

Cyber bullying has become an international phenomenon and families and schools are searching for different ways to stop this phenomenon. This international phenomenon is affecting people from any age or walk of life, including children, teens and adults who all feel very distressed and alone when being bullied online (www.nobullying.com). It can make you feel totally overwhelmed which can result in many feelings embarrassed that they are going through such a devastating time, and not knowing what support is available to them and it can make person to feel unable to confide to someone because they feel ashamed and wonder whether they will be judged or ignore. Through the use of different technology like mobile phones, computers and other gadgets in which it is freely available and is the ongoing issue or the bullying online will still spread day by day. The Cyber bullying is not only does it go on after school has finished, but it then carries through into the next day and the cycle continues.
Many cases reported that cyber bullying has resulted in tragic events including depression, anxiety, anger, suicide, hatred, violence, harassment, fear, mental illness and self-harm (Makeba Williams, 2013). It cans also causes in academic failures and increase in criminal activities for children and young people. Listed below are some signs to look out for the victims of a Cyber bullying:
• Low self-esteem
• Withdrawal from family and spending a lot of time alone
• Reluctance to let parents or other family members anywhere nears their mobiles, laptops etc.
• Finding excuses to stay away from school or work
• Friends disappearing or being excluded from social events
• Losing weight or changing appearance
• Fresh marks on the skin that could indicate self-harm
• A change in personality (https://socialissuesinthephil.blogspot.com/the-philippines-cyber-bullying)

Cyber bullying may threaten the safety and learning of students while at school, and consequently lead to school administrators issuing disciplinary action against perpetrators (Feinberg &Robey, 2008). Part of the problem of Cyber bullying is that it largely exists outside the school system. It means that a student is not really to be in a school to be bullied online. Through evolving of technology, teens and young adults are increasingly discovering that they are facing a much more difficult social landscape these days and it easy for them to participate in Cyber bulling by different ways through this new technology and this is the reason why cyber bullying in the Philippines has become so prevalent recently (www.nobullying.com).

Picture taken from: https://www.slideshare.net

Statistically shows that 20% of children and young people indicate fear of cyber bullies made them reluctant to go to school, 5% reported self-harm and 3% reported an attempt of suicide as a direct result of cyber bullying and for the social networking sites in which commonly used tool in spreading information in doing cyber bullying, Facebook was found out twice likely to be bullied online as to other social networking sites, 28% of young people have reported incidents of cyber bullying on Twitter and 26% of young people have reported incidents of cyber bullying on other social networking sites. Cyber bullying statistics Philippines agencies collect may actually help people improve the way that they cope with these problems (https://socialissuesinthephil.blogspot.com/the-philippines-cyber-bullying).

According to a research study about Cyber Bullying and suicide, it was reported that 20% of the respondents seriously thinking about attempting suicide and concluded that it is twice as likely to have attempted suicide compared to youth who had not experienced cyber bullying (Sameer Hinduja, Ph.D. and Justin W. Patchin, Ph.D.). A study conducted by Hoff and Mitchell (2009) regarding student perceptions of cyberbullying and its effects is compelling and powerful. A high percentage of students participating in this study claimed the virtual online world can be an intimidating environment with limited standards of appropriate behavior and even less enforcement (Hoff & Mitchell, 2009). Cyber bullying has resulted in many students experiencing heightened stress and negative feelings, which if intensified with excessive cyber bullying, can lead to dangerous behaviors, including violence and suicide.

Picture taken from: https://www.medpagetoday.com

There have been many news stories regarding incidences of cyber bullying in the Philippines that is the reason why there are several studies conducted by different organizations and personalities here in the Philippines and even internationally regarding Cyber Bullying in schools and universities. A documented incident of cyber bullying involved a student transferee from De la Salle University in Manila who complained about his recent change of University campus. His complaint was posted on his online blog, which drew attention from others. He then now received messages on his blog ranging from mild taunts to the threatening comments (Tayao, 2009). Among Philippine adolescents, cyber bullying is increasingly prevalent, although there are not many reported incidents of cyber bullying among many Filipino adolescents in the media, many Filipino adolescents have experienced undocumented cyber bullying (Esquerra, 2011).It is possible that Cyber bullying has been generally increase here in the Philippines but it can tend to decrease over time through the help of the government, schools and the families who experience this international phenomenon.

Picture taken from: https://www.slideshare.net/YumnaAli6/cyber-bullying-72410753

#steemitpowerupph
#steemitfamilyph