Fif-TECH-Teen: Cyberbullying

Cybullying has been a big topic of conversation lately. I was actually talking about it in school when I thought, “hey should cover this subject for Tattletech.” Cyberbullying is when somebody, no matter the age, is threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or even targeted for violence by another person on the Internet. It is a problem that seems to keep getting worse.

In 2011, forty-three percent of teenagers were victims of cyberbullying. When I see these figures in black and white, I find it staggering I only realized how serious and dangerous the problem is while researching the subject. This crime is disgraceful and is one of the few negative points of advancing technology. Teens my age can are taking the bullying that thrives in school hallways and playgrounds and continuing it in cyberspace, which unfortunately means that for some teens there is no respite. The Internet used to be a refuge.

Kids can be bullied for any reason, such as sexual orientation, race, difference in appearance, different opinions, or just because one individual does not like another individual. Obviously, teens that do bully others through the use of technology (or face-to-face for that matter) seem to forget that we all live in the same world and no matter the sexual orientation or appearance we are all equal and should be able to live how we want to live and look how we want to look without being judged by others. These people do not understand how much harm comes from their actions. Scared and innocent teens often turn to self-harming and in some cases suicide.

Back before the Internet and social networking sites, bullying always took the form of a physical action, whether it be insulting somebody face-to-face or an actual assault. In these cases,  bullies always ran the risk of retaliation or being caught red handed in the act. However, cyberbullies have reduced the risk of retaliation and have managed to avoid the chance of getting caught by passing authority by taking to the web. Their assaults can now be made anonymously. This is why we need new ways to stop them.

Personally, I do not understand why people could be so cruel, but “The Builder” (Dad) is convinced that it all comes down to the parenting. Whatever the reason, people will continue to bully and I think serious actions should be made to stop them. Last year in the United States, a bill was introduced in the House of Representatives that stipulated that anyone found guilty of cyberbullying could face a fine or a prison term of up to two years. These seems like a step in the right direction to me.

You can read Fif-TECH-teen weekly right here on Tattletech. You can also follow Sean on Twitter @sean_edwards1.