With technology so easily accessible a new phenomenon has risen, Cyberbullying—that is a new form of bullying with distinct differences in form, personality, and response.

Cyberbullying is a multi-faced issue. There’s not a legitimate reason for cyber bullying. Many perpetrators bully just to get a reaction. Some people do it to hurt people and bring them harm. It’s common for them to bully another just to boost their ego. It makes the tormentor feel in charge. Some may think it’s humorous to tease and make fun of others and that it’s not harmful in any way. The reality is being bullied can cause many problems for children and teenagers. Cyberbullying is not a light matter. It needs to be taken seriously as it does have a lot of dangerous effects on the victim.

Moreover, it disturbs the peace of mind of a person. Many people are known to experience depression after they are cyberbullied. In addition, they indulge in self-harm. All the derogatory comments made about them makes them feel inferior.

It also results in a lot of insecurities and complexes. The victim which suffers cyberbullying in the form of harassing starts having self-doubt. When someone points at your insecurities, they only tend to enhance. Similarly, the victims worry and lose their inner peace.

People feel distressed:

Mentally — feeling upset, embarrassed, stupid, even angry

Emotionally — feeling ashamed or losing interest in the things you love, and

Physically — tired (loss of sleep), or experiencing symptoms like stomach aches and headaches

Other than that, cyberbullying also tarnishes the image of a person. It hampers their reputation with the false rumours spread about them. Everything on social media spreads like wildfire. Moreover, people often question the credibility. Thus, one false rumour destroys people’s lives.

Cyberbullying prevention is the need of the hour. It needs to be monitored and put an end to. There are various ways to tackle cyberbullying. We can implement them at individual levels as well as authoritative levels.

Firstly, we should always teach young children to never share personal information online. For instance, if you list your home address or phone number there, it will make you a potential target of cyberbullying easily. Secondly , we should also teach them not to practice such wrongdoings.

The best way to address and prevent the issue of cyberbullying is to take the appropriate measures when children are still in school. Providing them with the tools of how to be respectful and the consequences of cyberbullying will dissuade them from engaging or continuing these behaviours in adulthood. Educators and parents must be willing to take a stronger stand against this form of harassment and challenge the idea that bullying of any kind is “a normal part of growing up.” We have reached the point where we can no longer claim unfamiliarity with technology. We must be willing to embrace electronic communication to gain a better understanding of the issue. Computer and electronic competence can the most effective tools in combating cyberbullying.

In conclusion, I want to say that awareness is the key to prevent online harassment.