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I always think of bullying as intimidating other people by saying and doing mean things to them or about them. I'm the unusual person who can't remember ever being bullied myself. It would be difficult to bully me as I don't give a monkey's uncle what mean people think about me. Never have.
In the last decade, we have seen the growth of Cyberbullying, which is ' bullying through a mobile phone or online (eg by email, instant messenger or on social network sites'. (BullyingUK) Stats vary, but at least 25% of kids have been victims. Some say it's as high as 40%. Adults, too, are targeted sometimes.
I would like to talk about teenagers in this post.
Teens sometimes have the idea that if you aren’t physically hurting someone, you aren’t doing anything wrong. There's an old LIE that supports this.
Remember this saying?
May break my bones
But words will never
Hurt me.
Of course, it's rubbish!
Hurtful and negative words, used over and over again, both in real life and social media, can have a devastating effect on self-esteem and even lead to suicide in some vulnerable people.
We all need to remember that what's posted online stays online forever.
Before posting comments about others, people should ask themselves:
Is it kind?
Is it necessary?
Is it true?
Spiteful posting is never necessary or kind, and it’s probably not true. If something unfortunate happens it doesn't mean you have a right to yak your opinion about it on social media. The repercussions can be devastating.
Freedom of speech is not applicable here!
Selfies, social media, camera-phones and editing software, all create opportunities for cyberbullying.
A very helpful site can be found by clicking here.
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