Blog Post #3
Technology was supposed to be our greatest friend, they said. It would improve the world and spark a whole new life of possibility and opportunity. What they didn't tell us, however, is that it would provide a platform for a cruel and unimaginable form of bullying. I'm referring to cyberbullying, which has proven to be one of the most dangerous effects of technological advancements in our world. It has caused a wide variety of devastating issues that plague our society. Change must come about.
After examining this module, An aspect that I noticed which allows cyberbullying to be so harmful is that it can be done with little to no effort. That is where there is a gap between cyberbullying and bullying. To cyberbully, you don't have to be face-to-face with the victim. It can be achieved by "repeatedly sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, or mean content about someone else on purpose" (Wilkey Oh., 2019). It's clear from this that a straightforward act of hatred on a device can happen within seconds and cause an endless list of problems for the victims of cyberbullying. To make matters worse, while it is not only easy to engage in cyberbullying, there is also a significant level of opportunity for it to emerge. With the internet constantly evolving, more apps are out there to provide the chance for cyberbullying, which can either make you a cyberbully or a victim of it. Either way, it's not a path that one should take. As a result, it can be stated that "The more digital platforms that a child uses, the more opportunities there are for being exposed to potential cyberbullying" (Tips for Teachers, 2021). Due to this extreme level of ease and opportunity in carrying out or being a victim of cyberbullying, teachers must keep this in mind and act accordingly. This can start by having your students become aware of how dangerous cyberbullying can be. One way that teachers can inform the youth and take them down a path against cyberbullying "is to educate their community about the responsible use of their devices at all times" (Hinduja & Patchin, 2022). Creating an environment where accountability for their actions is held allows students to recognize that consequences come from poor behavior. By examining how to use technology safely, they'll understand what violates that rule and if they partake in the unsafe practice. Problems will emerge for them.
Cyberbullying takes certain behaviors that align with bullying and allows them to take place in a new and convenient form. As long as there is access to some sort of technological device, the opportunity for cyberbullying is a highly likely threat with the intent of hurting another human being. With this in mind, the film, Dark cloud: the high cost of cyberbullying provided a lot of quality information that led to a crucial takeaway for me. The takeaway is that our world must not let problems persist. Instead, we owe it to ourselves to face them head-on. This idea of standing for justice and change was also very noticeable in the post about school violence. It was evident from that area that change must come about and that there is no room for violence to occur not just in our classrooms or schools but in our world. Justin Preston, founder of Rise Against Bullying, faced adversity through forms of bullying. Because of that experience, he is an incredible advocate for promoting change and not just letting problems persist. He states, "But today, I want you guys to start encouraging one another" (Dupej & Embry, 2020, 2:30). This depicts that to start revolting against cyberbullying, we need to look towards points of encouragement. This is a method by which we can spark change in our efforts against cyberbullying. Instead of using social media as a platform for hatred, animosity, and fear, we should be using it to uplift others around us and let the world see that they're in a loving place where others care for them. If this approach of encouragement was used on the internet, the issue wouldn't persist. Maybe if social media had become a platform of encouragement, Amanda would still be here today. She was exposed to the opposite of what Preston shows as the solution to our problem of cyberbullying. This concept of using social media as a platform for positivity was indeed an emphasis throughout the film, as it was later stated that "social media is here to stay. What we have to ensure is that we use these platforms in ways that can promote healthy development" (Dupej & Embry, 2020, 42:30). Through the consistent push of using social media for good intention, we see that it comes down to us to create a solution. Will we continue to use it as a platform of hatred where the problem will persist? Or, will we look to change and solve the problem using social media to its fullest potential to spark encouragement? This film has shown that informing the youth about the issue of cyberbullying can take the form of depicting a solution. Showing that by encouraging others and displaying high levels of positivity, we can take a stand against cyberbullying.
Reference
Dupej, H. & Embry, M. (2020). Dark cloud: The high cost of cyberbullying. TELUS Wise.
Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2022). Cyberbullying fact sheet: Identification, prevention, and response. Cyberbullying Research Center. Retrieved February 19, 2023, from https://cyberbullying.org/cyberbullying-fact-sheet-identification-prevention-and-response
Tips for Teachers: Warning Signs a Child is Being Cyberbullied or is Cyberbullying. (2021, May 21). stopbullying.gov. https://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/tips-for-teachers
Wilkey Oh, E. (2019, March 25). Teachers' Essential Guide to Cyberbullying Prevention. Common Sense Education. https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/teachers-essential-guide-to-cyberbullying-prevention
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