Personal commentary

I believe cyber bullying to be a great issue that has gotten and deserves to get public recognition.  The internet is a useful tool that was designed to benefit and enhance the lives of individuals.  With it, as with everything, comes positive aspects as well as negative ones.  However, the internet cannot be to blame for this particular social issue of cyber bullying.  As I have previously mentioned several times the internet is only a platform in which allows individuals to cyber bully, it is the means to an end, as is commonly said.  The main issue of cyber bullying is one which is socially derived; it begins with individuals, their relationships with one another, their behaviour and actions.  Cyber bullying has received great media attention, as it should, because of the unfortunate events that have followed its occurrence.  Although many technological changes have been made on the internet to protect individuals from cyber bullying I believe more needs to be done to put an end to it for good.  So far I believe individuals have only tried to hide the issue using technology to block or delete it from existence; however they haven’t really dealt with the root of the problem.  I believe the most effective means to terminate cyber bullying are informational sites and increased awareness.  Efforts have been made in this direction, however in my opinion not enough.  We must let individuals see the effects of cyber bullying with the attempt to change how individuals interact with one another and to encourage more positive decision making.  It is up to individuals to make the change, the internet is not to blame and the day that everyone realizes this will be the day that cyber bullying is no longer a social issue to be discussed.  We have the choice to say no to cyber bullying and to encourage others to do the same.  In the end, regardless of if one is punished for their actions, it is not worth it.  Harming another individual not only hurts them but also hurts you.  As a victim of bullying in my childhood I feel strongly about this topic and would like to see this social issue resolved in my lifetime.

Internet makes bullying easier

As mentioned in my previous blog, technology is only a platform for cyber bullying and not the reason for it, however it is also important to remember that the process of bullying differs from face-to-face and online.  From my perspective, cyber bullying is made easier with technology and the internet.  http://edt2.educ.msu.edu/DWong/EdTech/Turkle-CyberspaceIdentity.pdf  This article discuses cyberspace and identity in attempt to explain the anonymity that can be and is used online.  In cyberspace an individual can be who they want themselves to be or who they want others to think they are.  One has the power to create their own textual description of themselves in which, in most cases, is believed by others to be true.  With this ability to create a “fake” profile or remain completely anonymous, comes the issue of confronting and dealing with cyber bullies.  Cyber bullying is in this sense easy, as the perpetrators are not punished (because they are unknown) and left to continue targeting others.  However, again it is important to realize that the anonymity of the internet is not the reason to blame for cyber bullying.  Although it makes it easier for cyber bullies to hide behind their computer screen, remaining unnamed and with no repercussions for their actions, cyberspace (and with it the ability to hide and/or change one’s identity) was not created for this purpose.  The ability to create one’s own identity comes with technology and the internet.  This ability allows individuals to explore their diverse self, release emotions, connect with others who have similar experiences and/or feelings, while at the same time remaining anonymous and avoiding any unnecessary attention or just to keep certain aspects of their lives private.  The anonymity can be a positive outlet for individuals who have trouble discussing things with individuals in real life, in fear of being judged or ironically bullied.  We have socially constructed anonymity as being a negative that comes along with a technologically savvy society.  The issue again lies in human choices and social relationships, and the internet and cyberspace are only the outlets that we use to make these choices and establish these relationships.

Why does bullying occur?

One may ask them self why does bullying occur in the first place? Bullying is the result of a struggle for power and an outlet for ones emotions.  Some individuals believe that putting others down will somehow make them feel better about themselves or at least let others suffer with them.  Bullying in childhood may be seen as funny and may be encouraged by others in an indirect way. Bullying is a social issue, which is the result of an issue within society and the relationship between individuals.  In modern day society, we live life through technology and our main form of interaction with others is with devices and on the internet.  The introduction of social networking sites has changed the way we interact with others and altered our means of communication.  http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00393.x/full This article defines social networking sites as web-based services that allow individuals to construct profiles in a system in which they can connect with other users.  With social networking sites comes the ability to establish false identities and target others, both privately and publicly.  However it is important to note that this is not why these sites were developed!  This is where the issue presents itself.  We sit here and blame the internet and social networking sites for allowing individuals to have the means to cyber bully yet the motive lies in the social world.  Individual decisions are what cause bullying, not the internet or social networking sites.  Social networking sites are designed to create a means of communication and interaction between individuals around the world; they are positive creations in which we turn into places to be feared.  Although the issue of privacy does arise when discussing social networking sites, in the sense that we should be careful of things we post online, because as we know everything online remains online and can be accessed by just about anyone, they are not essentially bad places.  The reasons behind bullying, as previously mentioned, have nothing to do with technology.  The only thing that has changed is the platform of bullying, to put this concept in perspective take for example stealing.  When we think of stealing we most often assume it is a product of some sort from any store or shop, however stealing can also be downloading music illegally.  Although some individuals have different perceptions towards these separate situations, they are virtually the same thing, stealing is stealing.  As cyber bullying is still bullying, it has not somehow changed with the introduction of the internet, its roots still lie within social interaction.

A social issue - not a problem with technology

I believe bullying in itself is a social issue and not a problem to be blamed on technology.  The increase of technology and the influx of mobile devices and the internet have however provided a new platform for bullying.  The following link is to an article that highlights reasons why cyber bullying and bullying in general have been and continue to be issues of social origin and not ones that have come about with the introduction of technology: http://ipa.org.au/portal/uploads/submission_V6.pdf.  The article discuses many excellent points around the topic of cyber bullying and how it is a social issue that has received a lot of discussion in recent years.  It acknowledges different perceptions and opinions in regards to cyber bullying and attempts to define its components in an objective manner.  One main point being, although both traditional bullying (face-to-face) and cyber bullying are similar, in that they intend to cause harm, embarrassment or humiliation to another individual, the process differs greatly.  As stated in the article, some people would say cyber bullying is “more pervasive and insidious” in the sense that an individual cannot escape it; technology is everywhere and can be accessed by anyone.  I agree with this statement, although some could argue face-to-face bullying may have more impact on an individual, because it is a real life experience, cyber bullying unleashes the power of the internet and technology.  I believe cyber bullying is more threatening in the sense that there could be a potentially larger audience, no means of escaping it, and the possibility of recurrent incidences lasting a great deal of time.  The article also discusses ways to deal with and/or put an end to cyber bullying.  The first thing we think of when dealing with an issue we believe is wrong or unjust is to create laws that prohibit it, however in the case of cyber bullying, laws against it become contradicting to other laws or acts, such as freedom of speech, or they become easy to break, as the internet allows us to hide our identities fairly well.  A better means of combating cyber bullying is the implementation of tools on social networking sites in which protect individuals against others who may be targeting them.  Facebook and Twitter for example, allow individuals to delete, block and or report others for things they say or pictures that they post.  These tools help to avoid the cases of cyber bullying or at least remove them before they can occur again. It is evident that bullying is still prevalent regardless of the endless attempt to combat it; it is difficult to control something that is so out of our hands, as technology has really become, but that does not mean we should give up!  Bullying is a social issue, therefore if we fix the issue from its origin in society we won’t give the internet the ability to help progress it.

Cyber bullying as a social issue - Taking a stand

A social issue is defined by Wikipedia as an issue in which influences many individuals and is opposed by society: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_issue 

Cyber bullying has become a great social issue within the recent years and attempts to retaliate against it have used the same means in which it imposes itself; the internet and social media!  What better way to fight against cyber bullying then to take a media stand, spread awareness globally and help prevent future cases.  Many individuals, including celebrities, family of previous victims, officials and activists have taken a stand against cyber bullying by increasing awareness, writing articles and books, publishing in magazines, sharing their stories, and enforcing privacy and anti-bullying laws.  Social media platforms including Facebook and Twitter accounts have been created in attempts to spread awareness and share stories to prevent cyber bullying.  Some of these social media accounts include: https://twitter.com/AntiBullyingPro, https://twitter.com/ETCBtweet, https://www.facebook.com/helpstopcyberbullying123

These sites act to get the community involved in anti-bullying practices and raise awareness globally.  This video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfT2qqrqzgo posted by the ETCB twitter account does a excellent job at explaining cyber bullying as a whole; the reasons for it, the effects of it and how to help prevent it.  It is individuals like these, who created these social networking accounts and spend time making videos, who are trying to make a positive difference in the world.  It is true that technology and the Internet are designed to enhance our lives and to increase our connections with other’s worldwide, it is ultimately up to us and how we use them.  If we choose the positive route and think before we hit send we will change the fate of cyber bullying and help those who have fallen victims to cyber bullies.  An article in PEOPLE magazine was recently published about a baseball player’s daughter who was a victim of cyber bullying, he took a stand and defended his daughter and it became public attention: http://www.people.com/article/curt-schilling-daughter-dangers-social-media-cyberbullying?xid=socialflow_twitter_peoplemag

In regards to putting an end to cyber bullying technology sure does beat word of mouth; once something is published online it goes viral and comes to the attention of many.  In the same way cyber bullies use the internet to spread negative hate individuals retaliate by spreading love using the same medium.  Cyber space can and should be a positive atmosphere!

Cases of cyber bullying

The top six unfortunate cyber bullying cases in which led to suicide of the victim are reported here:

http://nobullying.com/six-unforgettable-cyber-bullying-cases/

It is truly a shame to read these stories and imagine what these individuals went through on a daily basis that led them to such a low point in their lives where they couldn't stand to be alive.  It is horrible to think of how the family and friends of these individuals felt, some not finding out until after their loved ones death why they were so depressed and felt no escape but to take their own lives.  However, it is amazing to see these families help others by raising awareness and helping establish laws in which protect individuals from being victims of cyber bullying and help prevent it all together.  The harsh reality is that these are only a small proportion of the cyber bullying cases that have occurred worldwide since the influx of cyber space and vast usage of the internet as a means of communication and broadcasting.  It is evident that cyber bullying is a social issue not to be taken lightly and that society should be highly concerned when certain individual’s actions and poor choices lead to the ill-health or in the worst case scenarios, as exemplified in the above link, death by suicide.  The Amanda Todd case, being the most recent on this list (2012), went viral as she posted a Youtube video about her story of cyber bullying shortly before she committed suicide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOHXGNx-E7E .  It is hard to watch her video knowing how much pain she was in and knowing that not long after she took her own life, she couldn’t get away from the bullying, it just would not stop.  This is where cyber bullying really differs from bullying in the past, it really never goes away.  The internet is a powerful place and once something is posted online, regardless of whether someone deletes it, it is never really gone.  The concept in which best describes this characteristic of the internet is surveillance; information posted online is stored indefinitely and can be access and shared globally.

Facts about cyber bullying

Some facts about cyber bullying are listed here: https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-cyber-bullying

At a quick glance it is evident just how prevalent cyber bullying has become.  Digital devices have created a medium to take the childhood acts of bullying to the next level.  The statistics show just how many individuals this new form of bullying has affected.  Almost half of all children have been bullied online and almost all teens have seen cyber bullying take place (broadcasted online – ex. on social media sites) but did not report it.  The acts themselves are damaging, but what makes it worse is that they are often times permanent and online for everyone else to see or only visible to the victim who is too afraid to let someone know, in either circumstance the harm cannot be undone.  Cyber bullying is often long term, as cyber bullies will continue targeting victims as long as there are no repercussions for their actions.  The long-term effects on the victim differs from individual to individual, however in most cases results in feelings of sadness, worthlessness, depression and anxiety.  The social issue arises here, as individuals begin to cause harm (indirectly, but intentionally) to others, often times compromising their health and well-being.  Victims of cyber bullying may become depressed, emotionally exhausted, miss or drop out of school, use drugs or alcohol, lose friends, cause self-harm and/or become suicidal.  Cyber bullying is a serious issue and has resulted in deaths in the past, as the statistic in the link states that bully victims are 2 to  9 times more likely to commit suicide.  It is very important to note that emotional well-being is a large aspect of an individual’s happiness and willingness to live; an individual can only take so much.  It is important that society acknowledges this issue and although difficult to stop once initiated, cyber bullying will hopefully be prevented in the first place, with increased awareness and better decision making on the part of individuals.  Cyber space does not have to be a place we fear, if we SAY NO to cyber bullying, by reporting things we see that we know are harmful or by refraining from participating in such acts, we can enjoy digital technologies and online forms of socialization.