Cyber bullying

The reason I decided to write about “Electronic Bullying” is because of the sad headlines this year that are focused on Tyler Clementi, the 18-year-old Rutgers University freshman who committed suicide after his roommate broadcast a Web video of him having a same-sex sexual encounter. With technology, it is so much easier to exploit a person. Not only because it is a faster and easier way to make rumors or embarrass someone publically, but it is also a way for people to bully without showing their face. According to the National Crime Prevention Council, cyber bullying is "when the Internet, cell phones or other devices are used to send or post text or images intended to hurt or embarrass another person." It creates a situation when a child, teenager or even an adult is repeatedly tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed by another via text messaging, email, instant messaging or any other type of digital technology. Cyber bullying can take place 24/7. Children (even adults) can't get away from it.

Internet bullying can consist of harassing someone by e-mail, ganging up on victims by ridiculing them in forums or posting untrue information about the person in order to humiliate the person. Posts on Facebook or Twitter for example are used to spread rumors or gossip and instigate others to dislike and gang up on someone. The purpose of internet- bullying is to intentionally embarrass someone.

The question is: Why is internet bullying such a common thing these days? Why do people do it? What happened to the traditional way of physical bullying?

In my opinion, it is just so much easier for people to be “tough” or say something bad to a person online, when you are not saying something to someone’s face. This goes for anything though. In my experience, as a very shy person, it is so much easier for me to send an angry e-mail or instant message than it is for me to confront a person face-to-face.

Another reason is that online people do not necessarily have to disclose their identity. That way it is easier for people to spread rumors about other people, without having to share any information about themselves. A perfect example is JuicyCampus.com. I’m sure you’ve all heard of this website, but for those who have not, it was a website focusing on gossip, rumors, and rants related to colleges and universities in the United States. The website allowed users to post messages and comments without having to worry about identification. This site was terrible. I couldn’t believe some of the things people were writing about their class mates, things I’m assuming they wouldn’t dare say to the persons’ face or with revealing their identity.

Online bullying is the same concept as traditional bullying, except that electronic bullies can remain anonymous. They can do so by using temporary email accounts, fake screen names in chat rooms, etc. - this frees them from the consequences of their behavior most times.

Also, unlike in a class room or playground, the internet lacks supervision. Also, in this day in age, children/teenagers know more about computers and technology than their guardians and can therefore use these technologies without getting caught.

Publishing of offensive material about a person on the internet is extremely difficult to prevent and once it is posted, millions of people can download or see it before it is removed.

This is very interesting to me because it shows the downside of technology. People abuse the privilege of the internet and are using it to hurt people. Having the power to post anything we want about anyone we want, for everybody to see can destroy a person- as it did in the case of Clementi. It’s good that people are becoming more aware of this phenomenon and are trying to do something about it. Maybe kids should just not be allowed online. As for the adults who do it, it’s just stupid and I couldn’t tell you a solution for them. Maybe incidents like the one at Rutgers will show people that the internet should not be used for those malicious purposes.