Cyber Bullying, Don't Let It Effect You

By :Reid Mene

This week in class we saw a presentation on cyber-bulling.  For those who do not know what cyber bulling is, it is the act of making fun of or intimidating someone over the internet.   I have some experience with this.  I have had friends who have had this happen to them, and it is not a joking matter.

After reading an article by Alison Browne (http://www.thebeehive.org/school/k-12-students/supporting-my-child-school/top-5-ways-boys-and-girls-bully?gclid=CNm31I64naUCFVB95QodP1X3IQ), I have learned that girls are more likely to cyber bully than boys.  Browne says this because apparently boys are more physical, and when they get upset they tend to resort to physical aggression or verbal conduct.  This is in contrast to teen girls in particular who are more prone to engage in secretive messages through the internet.  As a not-too-long-ago high school student myself, I do understand and agree with this.   I watched innocent girls become a victim of cyber bulling, and they were much more affected by this than I would have imagined.  Males are said to be a little more timid over the internet and are not as gullible.  This results in them not being as forward and outgoing as their female counterparts are.


It is hard to imagine that there are parents today who are not paying attention to what their children are getting involved in via the internet.  Wither it is through social networks, e-mail, blogging or cell phones, cyber bulling is seemingly becoming a more common problem as people adapt to and become more versatile in the internet and its impact.  It’s particularly unfortunate that children have to be scared when they log on at home.   Even home is not safe.  As we wrote our papers on in class, this is a perfect example of how social networks such as Facebook and new media have negative consequences.  It complicates life, rather than simplifying it.  It makes life harsher, rather than making it more pleasant.

Personally, I thought that cyber bulling was something that was prevalent among adolescents, but I have learned that it is a problem for children of all ages.  I recently saw a very troubling video involving an eleven year old girl.  This is unacceptable in a civilized society, and makes victims of all of us. I and egocentric eleven year old cry her eyes out over being made fun of through the internet.  this really made me understand the effectiveness of cyber bullying and that it really can hurt people.