Cyber Bullying Effects On Society

With today’s world being so centered around technology, it is rare that any American will be found without access to the internet. Whether this access is through a mobile device or a stationary computer, anyone who has a connection to the World Wide Web can be prone to witnessing or being the center of a cyberbully attack. Cyberbullying is defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary as “the electronic posting of mean-spirited messages about a person [that is] often done anonymously.” It can also be considered as “the use of technology to harass, threaten, embarrass, or target another person” (New). Cyberbullying has many effects on the lives of people it has been aimed at such as the unwillingness to go out, low self-esteem, alcohol and drug use, …show more content…
Instead, it can be something embarrassing or a spreading of false information. Something embarrassing, in this case, could be a picture of someone passed out at a party. While the uploader might not think it is anything harmful, the person in the photo could be scared of reaction that the photo might get. Another example of innocent bullying would be if someone were taking a private picture of themselves to try and build confidence. It only takes one other person gaining access to that photo for it to be spread around a particular setting such as work and school. False information can be created by telling an innocent fact to someone else. What might start out as a normal thing you would expect to hear from someone might end up being passed along and told as something completely different that could be embarrassing. From personal experience, it is easy to confirm that bad news about someone spreads tenfold compared to good or normal news about someone that only a few people will find out about. However, not all embarrassing or false information comes innocently. Sometimes these photos can be what was shared when two people were in a relationship. Many people see revenge porn as being the ultimate payback. Others might not share photos, but they will share embarrassing facts or false information about their ex. As a result of these private things being shared, one will most likely begin to have low …show more content…
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “Suicide is the third leading cause of death among persons aged ten to fourteen [and] the second among persons aged fifteen to thirty-four.” Data showing results for suicides in 2013 shows that an average of one person, aged twenty-four and under, had killed themselves every hour and forty minutes. (Drapeau and McIntosh). Many young people have very fragile and influential minds. What others say about them is what they will take themselves as. Other people’s suggestion of actions can sometimes lead to very real results. In perhaps what is considered to be the most widely recognized cyberbullying case, that of Amanda Todd, she was being blackmailed by a stranger – found later to be ‎Aydin Coban, 38 - after showing her breasts to him via a video chat website. The picture of her began circulating the internet and even made its way to a fake Facebook profile. No matter what she did in attempt to escape this stalker, he would come back out of nowhere. On September 7, 2012, Amanda had posted a video on YouTube using flashcards to communicate to the viewers her story of being blackmailed and bullied. On October 10, 2012, she hanged herself in her home. She was fifteen years old. A more recent case of death by cyberbullying is that of Brandy Vela who was eighteen. Brandi’s sister, Jackie, says that the cyberbullying ramped up in April. Even though she changed her