Cyberbullying

Red circle with a slash through the middle with the writting "cyberbullying"

 Cyberbullying amongst middle and high schoolers has skyrocketed due to the amount of technology they have access to. Cyberbullying can be hard for parents and teachers to see because it is being hidden by a screen. Children feel as if they can say whatever they want online since they can hide behind their screens. It is almost as if these students only have confidence in being rude through online platforms. Cyberbullying occurs on social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and Tik Tok. However, it can happen through any form of communication, such as text messages, chat rooms, and emails. Cyberbullies are ruining even fun video games. Often young people think that their messages online can not be traced back to them or that the message will vanish (like the platform Snapchat). However, the effects of their words are longer lasting than a ten-second picture. There have been new laws in place to help victims of cyberbullying by punishing the bully.

Young boy looks at his phone 
and looks scared of what is on it.

Cyberbullying is difficult for some adults to recognize because this was not a thing they had to deal with growing up. Children often seem embarrassed to bring up this form of bullying because it might start innocently "teasing." Today in classrooms, many schools have technology for every student, or they bring in personal technology from home, which can make cyberbullying happen more often. Children today are never unplugged from technology, and this is one negative of technology. Some cyberbullies do get in trouble with schools, but there are still too many people getting away with it. It is time for parents and teachers to monitor the technology at home and in the classroom to help stop cyberbullying at the early stages. The laws in place might not be good enough. Educators need to protect their students and make sure no one is being harmed by the use of technology.