The Mean Screen
what cyberbullying is and why it should stop
One day, Jake H. of Chicago was shocked by what he saw on his Facebook page. " Some girls had made a video of yelling things like ' your ugly' , 'your fat' , ' no one's ever going to like you' , and ' your stupid'," says Jake, at age 13. Even worse, some people had clicked like on the video. The girls, among with a few of Jake's friends, left mean messages on his profile page. " A bunch of people were mad at me and I did not know why". Jake says. " I was sad, crying, and freaking out because my friends had been writing this stuff." Jake missed a couple days of school because he felt so bad.
The on,one attack did not last long. After talking to a few of his friends , Jake found out why everyone was so mad. Somebody had made a profile in his name and sent mean message to some of his friends and to one of the most popular girls in school. The girls had made the video to get revenge, and some other kids had joined in.
After he explained that he did not send the messages, everyone said they were sorry. It still hurt though." They had already said this stuff and it was all over my Facebook page." Says Jake. "It changed the way I thought about things." He was also worried because his so- called friends had joined in.
Technology can be a fun and positive way to learn,express yourself, and keep up with friends. But as Jake learned, it can also be used to hurt others(Recee,Tamekia,2011). What Jake experienced was being cyberbullied . Cyberbullying is when anyone is being harassed , tormented, threatened , embarrassed, or other wise targeted by another human being using technology(Hinduja, Sameer, 2016).
First, did you know that people all over the world are victims of cyberbullying? Victims feel terrible and often blame themselves when they are cyberbullied. They get low self esteem and nearly no confidence. Kids, preteens, and teens that are cyberbullied miss school. And not just that. People all over the world commit suicide due to cyberbullying. So don't think that cyberbullying is just harmless fun, because it is not harmless and it is not fun. It is one of the worst things that bullies do.
As well, you know how bullying is pretty bad? Well cyberbullying is 2 times worse. First of all, the bully can disquise themselves so they don't get caught. Also, the bully can hack and hide evidence of ever cyberbullying. Lastly, when something mean is posted online, it is there forever. Although the cyberbully may try to take it down, most times it is unsuccessful. Even if they do take it down, other people may have saved it, so someone usually always has it. There is one thing that always stays no matter what. The hurt. It takes people so long to get over cyberbullying. For some this takes a lifetime.
Also, the charges for cyberbullying can be various. It depends on how severe the situation is. The charges can range from being grounded to high fines or even very short times in jail. Also, the cyberbully sometimes feels embarrassed, ashamed, or guilty. As well , when the cyberbully is caught, they loose friends , respect, and many other things. Worst of all, the whole world can realize that the cyberbully is mean and disrespectful.
On the other hand, cyberbullying can show the victim what the real world is like. People who are cyberbullied or are a former victim of cyberbullying tend to make better disisions about what they post and a role model of what not to do. But still, most victims of cyberbullying can't handle cyberbullying. Victims are often to scared to stand up for themselves or tell someone they know who can take care of the situation.
In conclusion, cyberbullying is one of the worst ways of bullying. It's wrong, hurtful , unecessary , pointless, and mean. There can be serious consequences of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying will never lead to anything good. It is easier thank you think to make someone cry. You don't want to be the guy that hurts people and makes them cry. If you don't want to face consequences , hurt people, or be worse than a bully, then just don't cyberbully . It is not worth any of the hurt and pain. And if you ever witness cyberbullying, tell someone responsible and trustworthy that can handle the situation.
Bibliography
Hindus, Sammer. " Cyberbullying". World Book Student. World Book, 2016. Web. Jan, 25. 2016.
Recee, Tamekia. " World Wide Web of Hurt." Current Health Kids. Apr/May 2011:9+. SIRS Discover. Web. 27