Harassment over the Internet has started to take a toll on young adults everywhere. With new ways of communicating through social media sites and cell phones, people have discovered that they can manipulate and torture others more easily than in person. When individuals decide to harass others repeatedly through technology this is referred to as ‘cyberbullying.’ In today’s modern technological world, cyberbullying has become ludicrous, affecting many races, sexual orientations, and ages; however, the lack of prevention is the real issue at hand. Cyberbullying even leads to fatal outcomes for those being bullied, but everyone has the ability to help this issue subside.
Surprisingly all individuals, no matter the race, sexual orientation, or age, are affected by cyberbullying. There have been many different cases of cyberbullying reported from Caucasians to Asians, homosexual to heterosexual, and youth to adults. As commonly known, racism has been an endless struggle for centuries and now with cyberbullying it only helps to encourage the segregation and racism among individuals with its rising numbers of victims. In addition, a nationally representative study of adolescents from seventh to twelfth grade found that lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth were more than twice as likely to have attempted suicide due to cyberbullying. According to the National Crime Victimization Survey of the Megan Meier Foundation, a little over seventy-one percent of students reported being cyberbullied in 2011, and numbers have continuously risen. The friends and family of the ones being bullied and the ones that are doing the bullying are also affected by the attitude and presence of the individuals involved, especially if the outcome is death. Cyberbullying has no positive effects. It is the time it comes to an end regardless of the characteristics a person holds.
Above all, cyberbullying can be fatal in serious cases involving young adults. Many teens have been cruelly harassed repeatedly over the Internet and it has lead them into believing that the life they live is not worth going through all the pain and suffering from cyberbullying. For example, a 13-year-old girl named Megan Meier took her own life because of the online attacks and repeated harassment she was put through. If Megan would have told someone what was going on or the one bullying her would have decided not to torment her, she might still be alive. No individual should have to face this sort of disturbance.
In the world today, many people are not aware of how to go about preventing cyberbullying. If individuals were educated on the matter, they could learn the problems circulating at this very moment. Some of the easiest ways to help prevent cyberbullying are speaking up when you are aware that it is happening, not spreading the harsh online gossip of others. You also need to educate others on the ways to help and why they should.
Cyberbullying is ridiculous because of the extreme number of people targeted and the unnecessary fatal tragedies. For individuals to be harassed repeatedly over the Internet due to their race, sexual orientation, or age is absolutely ridiculous. People are taking their own lives over this outrageous issue amongst us, which is simply unacceptable. Every individual has the power to change this. Well over half of young adults have reported being cyberbullied, and of those countless have died because of their experience with this monstrosity. People taking a stand for prevention could save the lives of many. It’s your chance, take a stand.
