Pros Of Cyberbullying

As the popularity of social media and the internet has increased, has our society become affected or defected by it? “There are more devices connected to the internet than there are people on the earth” (Bennett). In addition to that, the majority of the world is connected through social networking, which is a good thing. Where there is good there is always comes bad, but in many cases the good can outweigh the bad. While some might say the easily accessed online world is impressive. Having the privilege to keep in contact with people close to you and even with those from other parts of the world, others might argue that its easy access is alarming. On one hand, parents find social media a feeding ground for child predators, and they do play …show more content…
Cyberbullying has become the new form of bullying. Children have access to a tool that is geared toward connecting with your friends, but are using it in a defensive way, due to the same lack of knowledge. In a place where gossip is distributed at a faster pace and where it is stored forever, social media is often targeted as a playground for bullies. However, researchers have stated that “Online harassment is not as common as offline harassment” (O’Keeffe). The fact that cyberbullying is more of a fresh form of bullying rather than the original form is the reason it has caught the attention of those everywhere. Sometimes it takes less confidence to attack an individual behind the keys of a message board, rather than saying it to their face. What is said about a person could have a huge impact on their life, from the way they live to the way they think. Studies have shown that “it can cause depression, anxiety, severe isolation, and suicide.”(O’Keeffe). Many cases of suicide have been seen due to inappropriate pictures and writings that were posted online. Along with the bullying and the development of technology, “sexting” seems to sprout another disturbing detriment to the rise of social media. It is no secret that sexting exists, and that it creates a huge problem in the bullying/harassment category. There are countless ways to execute something like this. Gwenn O’Keeffe, a pediatric doctor, noted that “Sexually explicit messages, photographs, or [videos], can be sent via cell phone, computer, or [any] digital device.” When young couples fight, they do not have the knowledge to act as adults, and therefore get back at each other in hurtful ways, like leaking a photo sent to their significant other out of confidence. While all of this is sorrowful and true, many haters of the online world forget all this has been in existence for centuries, just in alternative forms.