Ways to Prevent Social Media Bullying
The world's population is in excess of six billion. Of these, 74% are on social media platforms while about 70% of the social media users are online at least once a day. Consequently, 27% of these active users are victims of cyber bullying while 20% are perpetrators of the same (Donegan 2012). There are several practices that amount to cyber bullying: mean or spiteful comments, rumors, and text message threats (Donegan 2014). The dynamic technological revolution has escalated the instances of cyber bullying. With the vice on a steady rise, it is inevitable that a lasting solution to this vice ought to be proffered. To attain such a fete, it is critical that we focus on some issues that are paramount to cyber bullying. For example, what are the different ways in which cyber bullying manifests on the social media? And how can such ways be mitigated? This paper focuses on cyber bullying; highlighting facts about the vice, and suggesting possible ways of preventing social media bullying.
What is Cyber Bullying?
Richard Donegan explains cyber bullying as comprising of three factors; mean or spiteful comments, rumors, and threats levied through text messages (Donegan 2014). Dinakar, Karthilk et al. (2012) define cyber bullying as "the repeated injurious use of harassing language to insult or attack another individual." In this regard, social media bullying can be summarized to mean the deliberate use of spiteful comments, rumors, and propagation of defaming messages about a person through the social media.
The history of social media bullying as far back as the invention of MySpace; the first social media site on the internet ( Donegan 2014). There are several issues that have propagated, or escalated, the practice of cyber bullying.
The Diversification of Social Media Sites
According to Donegan (2014), the cradle of social media bullying is the invention of Myspace. However, several social media sites have sprouted over the years; giving rise to a variety of arenas for social media bullying. The diversity and availability of social media sites has escalated social media bullying in two ways: First, the social media holding capacity has exponentially increased. Secondly, the shear diversity of social media sites makes it difficult to monitor, let alone, prevent instances of social media bullying (Hinduja and Patchin 2014).
Popularization of Internet interactivity
Hinduja and Patchin (2014) posit that cyber bullying has been on the rise over the years due to an increased embrace of internet interactivity amongst the teens. For example, 95% of American teenagers are online. Consequently, the most accessed internet media is the social media, and the main purpose is interactivity. Teenagers find it easier to socialize through the social media than through conventional methods.
Advances in Technology
Pertinent to the advent and proilific rise of cyber bullying cases is the advancement of technology. For example, 74% of teenagers; explain Hinduja and Patchin, access social media platforms through their cell phones. Transitively, the local availability of social media sites has birthed a breed of malicious teenagers. Such, conclude Hinduja and Patchin, has contributed to the rising cases of social media bullying (Hinduja and Patchin 2014).
Types of Social Media Bullying
Social Media bullying adopts various forms as Donegan establishes. However, to fully understand the extent of this vice, it is imperative that we consider the relationship between social media bullying and conventional bullying.
Social Media bullying closely resembles traditional bullying, but differs in some ways. For example, in traditional bullying, the victim knows the bully, and can avoid them. On the other hand, the victim in cyber bullying can rarely identify the bully, and more often than not, cannot avoid the bully. As such, social media bullying manifests itself in the following ways:
Spiteful Comments
Whitaker and Kowalski (2014) explain that apart from rumors, spiteful comments are the most common methods of cyber bullying. While such comments are often unsolicited, the victim plays a role in most cases. For example, a social media user posting controversial material to enhance influence is equally exposed to ridicule from other users who do not approve of such material. The ridicule may be in form of comments that make fun of the victim. Such spiteful comments, explain Whitaker and Kowalski (2014) have an adverse effect to the victim.
Rumors
The liberal nature of social media platforms has encouraged the misuse of such freedom amongst some users. For example, some teenagers post content in oblivion, or disregard, of the feelings of other users. Such content, explain Hinduja and Patchin (2014), often contains rumors or made up stories about particular targets.
Text Message Threats
As we established earlier, the advancement in technology has diversified the avenues through which cyber bullying occurs. For example, a study by Nandhini and Sheeba has established that targeted social media bullying has escalated to a point of anonymous text message threats. Consequently, the ability to create multiple accounts on social media, as well as the use of disposable phone lines has enhanced anonymity on social media. With such benefits, bullies have taken to direct text messages without fear of persecution (Nandhini and Sheeba 2015).
The world's population is in excess of six billion. Of these, 74% are on social media platforms while about 70% of the social media users are online at least once a day. Consequently, 27% of these active users are victims of cyber bullying while 20% are perpetrators of the same (Donegan 2012). There are several practices that amount to cyber bullying: mean or spiteful comments, rumors, and text message threats (Donegan 2014). The dynamic technological revolution has escalated the instances of cyber bullying. With the vice on a steady rise, it is inevitable that a lasting solution to this vice ought to be proffered. To attain such a fete, it is critical that we focus on some issues that are paramount to cyber bullying. For example, what are the different ways in which cyber bullying manifests on the social media? And how can such ways be mitigated? This paper focuses on cyber bullying; highlighting facts about the vice, and suggesting possible ways of preventing social media bullying.
What is Cyber Bullying?
Richard Donegan explains cyber bullying as comprising of three factors; mean or spiteful comments, rumors, and threats levied through text messages (Donegan 2014). Dinakar, Karthilk et al. (2012) define cyber bullying as "the repeated injurious use of harassing language to insult or attack another individual." In this regard, social media bullying can be summarized to mean the deliberate use of spiteful comments, rumors, and propagation of defaming messages about a person through the social media.
The history of social media bullying as far back as the invention of MySpace; the first social media site on the internet ( Donegan 2014). There are several issues that have propagated, or escalated, the practice of cyber bullying.
The Diversification of Social Media Sites
According to Donegan (2014), the cradle of social media bullying is the invention of Myspace. However, several social media sites have sprouted over the years; giving rise to a variety of arenas for social media bullying. The diversity and availability of social media sites has escalated social media bullying in two ways: First, the social media holding capacity has exponentially increased. Secondly, the shear diversity of social media sites makes it difficult to monitor, let alone, prevent instances of social media bullying (Hinduja and Patchin 2014).
Popularization of Internet interactivity
Hinduja and Patchin (2014) posit that cyber bullying has been on the rise over the years due to an increased embrace of internet interactivity amongst the teens. For example, 95% of American teenagers are online. Consequently, the most accessed internet media is the social media, and the main purpose is interactivity. Teenagers find it easier to socialize through the social media than through conventional methods.
Advances in Technology
Pertinent to the advent and proilific rise of cyber bullying cases is the advancement of technology. For example, 74% of teenagers; explain Hinduja and Patchin, access social media platforms through their cell phones. Transitively, the local availability of social media sites has birthed a breed of malicious teenagers. Such, conclude Hinduja and Patchin, has contributed to the rising cases of social media bullying (Hinduja and Patchin 2014).
Types of Social Media Bullying
Social Media bullying adopts various forms as Donegan establishes. However, to fully understand the extent of this vice, it is imperative that we consider the relationship between social media bullying and conventional bullying.
Social Media bullying closely resembles traditional bullying, but differs in some ways. For example, in traditional bullying, the victim knows the bully, and can avoid them. On the other hand, the victim in cyber bullying can rarely identify the bully, and more often than not, cannot avoid the bully. As such, social media bullying manifests itself in the following ways:
Spiteful Comments
Whitaker and Kowalski (2014) explain that apart from rumors, spiteful comments are the most common methods of cyber bullying. While such comments are often unsolicited, the victim plays a role in most cases. For example, a social media user posting controversial material to enhance influence is equally exposed to ridicule from other users who do not approve of such material. The ridicule may be in form of comments that make fun of the victim. Such spiteful comments, explain Whitaker and Kowalski (2014) have an adverse effect to the victim.
Rumors
The liberal nature of social media platforms has encouraged the misuse of such freedom amongst some users. For example, some teenagers post content in oblivion, or disregard, of the feelings of other users. Such content, explain Hinduja and Patchin (2014), often contains rumors or made up stories about particular targets.
Text Message Threats
As we established earlier, the advancement in technology has diversified the avenues through which cyber bullying occurs. For example, a study by Nandhini and Sheeba has established that targeted social media bullying has escalated to a point of anonymous text message threats. Consequently, the ability to create multiple accounts on social media, as well as the use of disposable phone lines has enhanced anonymity on social media. With such benefits, bullies have taken to direct text messages without fear of persecution (Nandhini and Sheeba 2015).
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