Essay Sample on Effects of Cyberbullying on Teenagers

📌Category: Bullying, Child development, Psychology, Social Issues
📌Words: 665
📌Pages: 3
📌Published: 21 March 2022

Cyberbullying can be defined as hostile, repeated, and severe with the intent to harass, threaten, or even embarrass someone. Many people nowadays have been affected by it or know someone who has. A survey conducted in 2006, stated that 1 in 3 teens admitted to being a victim of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying can have many effects on people and is completely different from just plain old bullying. It has come to people's attention that individuals should be prosecuted for statements made on social media for many reasons. Some being you don’t need to know that person to get bullied, it can affect you physically and mentally at home and school, and people can pretend to be someone they're not just to reach you.

To begin with, in order to get cyber bullied people don’t need to know that person in real life in order to get bullied. Someone can just be threatening them repeality online and they can’t do anything about it. Most people would say, “Just block them” but, it won’t work if they will threaten to hurt them if they block them. This can be considered a federal offense. According to, “The Dangers Of Cyberbullying” it states, “On the other hand, the victim and the bully don’t even need to know each other for cyberbullying to occur. It’s much harder to flee a cyberbully, as they can “attack” through a variety of electronic means. The effects of cyberbullying can also reach a much wider audience, due to the popularity of social networking sites.” For example, a random person online decides to “pick a victim to repeality harass”. They decide to get in a game and pick someone, this person would have no idea what was about to happen. The “cyberbully” then decides to just full on harass them for everything they do and starts to threaten them. The victim who has never spoken to this person in their life doesn’t know what to do and is very scared. If this was an in person situation the bully would be prosecuted, but since it was online apparently there is a difference. This is one reason why individuals should be prosecuted for statements made online.

Furthermore, it can affect a person physically and mentally as well as at home and at school. Studies have shown that being a victim of cyberbullying has affected a person at school and in person. An example being Megan Meier, who got bullied at school and online. The first source states, “But with a surge in the popularity of new technology among children and teens, bullying has become a problem that doesn’t always stop at the end of the school day.”

As bullies turn to email, text messaging, or even social networking sites, cyberbullying has infiltrated the confines of the home, as was the case with 13-year-old Megan Meier.” Megan Meier isn't the only person who had effects in person and online. The source, “What is Cyberbullying” states, “60% of targets said that their online experiences as a target of cyberbullying affected them at school, home, and with friends, and reported experiencing feelings of frustration, anger, and sadness.” This proves that multiple people have had their cyberbully affect their in person life as well. Which can lead to it also affecting their mental health because they would be in constant fear of being threatened by them. Again, another reason why individuals should be prosecuted for statements made online.

Others may believe that people shouldn’t be prosecuted for statements made online because if a child can’t handle it they shouldn’t be on the internet then. But, what isn’t taken into account is the fact that everything is online these days. Classes, games, homework ,and tests are all things people do on a daily basis online that require the internet. The source, “The Danger Of Cyberbullying” states, “But then, why don’t kids just unplug? Technology has become an essential part of our society and our homes. Use of technology has extended beyond simple entertainment. For example, teens often use their cell phones to contact their parents in emergency situations, not just to send texts with their friends or play games.” One can not just stop using the internet when it is used in everyone's daily life. Lasty, people can pretend to be someone they're not just to reach you.

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