Cyber Bullying and Social Media

What is Cyber Bullying?

In this wonderful modern era of web-based social media, sadly there's a new area of concern as well in the form of cyber bullying. Cyber bullying is bullying using technology. For instance, it involves using the Internet, mobile phone or other technology like a camera to bully and so hurt or embarrass someone. It can happen anonymously, at any hour, anywhere and reach a vast audience.

Cyberbullying has a number of certain features:

 it allows for a potentially infinite audience to view or participate

 it is often anonymous as perpetrators can hide behind false identities

 it has a permanency of expression as information put online can be difficult to remove, and may be recorded and archived

 it may be difficult to escape from the bullying as people often use technology everyday and in the case of mobile phones can be constantly contactable

 content can be duplicated easily

 content is often searchable.

What does Cyber Bullying look like?

Bullying on the Internet or using mobiles can include:

 being sent mean and/or anonymous text messages

 receiving nasty or threatening messages through social networking sites

 people sending photos or videos of you to other people with the intention of embarrassing you

 people spreading rumors about you

 people intimidating or harassing you

 people trying to stop you from communicating with others

 people hacking into, or stealing passwords to access your online accounts (e.g. Facebook or My Space)

 any form of communication that is discriminatory.

Why is Cyber Bullying a growing concern?

We are all using the Internet, mobile phones and other technologies more than ever. While these technologies bring many benefits to our lives, such as connecting with friends, entertainment, research and accessing support services, their growing use means that Cyber Bullying poses increased risks and dangers, particularly for young people. In Australia Cyber Bullying affects at least one in ten students.

In June 2010 young people aged 14 -17 years old had the highest rate of Internet use in Australia with 91% spending time online every week.

Level of Internet use	14-17 year olds	Total population 14 years and older
Heavy users (>15 hrs per week)	36%	28%
Medium users (>7- 15 hrs per week)	37%	27%
Light users (<7 hrs per week)	18%	23%
No use in an average week	9%	22%

Retrieved from ACMA,,‘Australia in the digital economy, shift to the online environment’, Communications Report 2009-10 Series, (June 2010) p 13.

What are the impacts of Cyber Bullying?

Bullying, including Cyber Bullying, can have serious impacts on individuals, organizations and communities. Cyberbullying can be detrimental to a person’s mental and physical health. Victims can experience significant social isolation and feel unsafe. It can lead to emotional and physical harm, loss of self-esteem, and feelings of shame and anxiety, concentration and learning difficulties. Incidents of young people committing suicide have also occurred. In the case of a perpetrator of bullying, it can contribute to ongoing antisocial or criminal behavior and engaging in abuse in other contexts. Cyberbullying is likely to create difficult and unsafe environments in organizations, be it at school, work or sporting clubs. Organizations at, or through, which bullying occurs have responsibilities to address and prevent bullying. In addition to the significant harm that cyber bullying can have, not addressing incidents of bullying could expose organizations to risks of claims for compensation.

Two of the most famous cases are the suicide of Ryan Halligan and Megan Meier back in 2003 and 2006 respectively, due to the effect of cyber bullying. Cyber bullying is unique case because it can happen 24/7 and most people think they can get away with it, without knowing the impact it can have towards the bullied person. 

Here's a video showing celebrities read mean tweets and their reactions

So what do you guys think about this new type of bullying? any idea on how to solve this problem and who do you guys think should be responsible for this, parents, friends or the social media itself?