by Keith Loh, staff reporter
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” This common saying however, is not necessarily true when it comes to cyberbullying.
To some, this might not seem like a major issue but it is just as big of a deal as traditional bullying. Though the physical aspect of it is not there, the mental and physiological effect of it still is. Cyberbullying can be scarring for those who have went through it.
According to dosomething.org, 43% of people have been cyberbullied before. This means that it is very likely for someone close to you to have been cyberbullied before or is even currently being cyberbullied.
“Just because it’s behind a computer screen doesn’t make it hurt any less. Words have power,” junior Joshua Cantero said.
Some suggest that to avoid cyber bullying, one should remove oneself from social media altogether. This however, isn’t solving the problem. This instead, gives the bully a reason to either persist or find another victim. This is also not a conventional method because there are many other ways of communication such as email and the use of cellular phones.
Others suggest to be strong and to just ignore it because if one doesn’t give a reaction, then the bully won’t have a reason to keep on bullying. However, this is simply not true because if one submits to the bully and becomes its subordinate, then the bully will treat their victim like a punching bag. No matter the size of a rock, a river will always be able to chip it away.
The first line of defense if one is cyber bullied would be to block the person. If the problem consists, consult a parent or counselor. This does not mean that one is a tattle or a snitch, but rather that one is able to resolve a problem when confronted with one.
Like traditional bullying, rules and regulations must be set in order to stop cyber bullying. If not, it will run rampant like a wildfire and only spread and affect even more people. Together as a community, cyberbullying may not be able to be rid of in its entirety, but least it can reduce the impact that it has.
“My brother was cyber bullied before and such a matter shouldn’t be taken lightly. He was depressed for about a month,” freshman Ivana Pitino said.
Cyberbullying wasn’t a problem let alone a major concern a decade ago. This is because at the time, social medias have just started appearing and the accessibility to computers and other technologies was still limited. But due to recent developments, sending a message is only a few clicks away.
Film industries have also touched upon the topic of cyberbullying. Numerous movies have been released on the big screen to raise awareness of/for how severe cyberbullying can become if left unchecked. Movies such as Cyberbully, shows what could potentially happen if cyber bullying is ignored. These films have caught the attention of the media because it has been mentioned by different news outlets.
Cyberbullying is not something that should be shrugged off. It has taken the lives of far too many people. Cyberbullies only continue to exist because those who do it believe it is easy to get away with it.
