How cyber bullying psychologically affects kids/teens
Study Less And Learn More? → |
Cyberbullying exists as a form of harassment that occurs in the electronic medium. Such a practice has become rampant nowadays, while its main targets children and teens. Today, they have access to technology more than ever, which has significantly exposed them to cyberbullying (Besag, 2010). Various stakeholders have raised their voices, protesting against the practice of cyberbullying since it affects the development of children greatly. Some of the behaviors, which can be associated with this harmful practice, include rumors and their spreading online as well as the posting of threating remarks. The disclosure of personal information, related to another individual, via electronic media is also a form of cyberbullying. Repeated behavior has highlighted harm towards targeted individuals. Nevertheless, cyberbullying may have negative effects on its victims as well as perpetrators (Warren, 2011). Thus, cyberbullying affects the psychological state of children and teens through the development of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideations, low self-esteem, and use of drugs.
Development of Depression
Cyberbullying is primarily associated with depression among children and teens. This practice can be encountered on such online platforms as Facebook, one of the widely used social media sites by young people. An Internet survey, conducted by Schenk and Fremouw (2012), revealed that 8.6% of 799 interviewed students had experienced cyberbullying. The resultant effect of this practice is depression since children and teens are not comfortable talking openly about what they experience. They develop the fear of telling their parents that they are cyberbullied since that they do not want to lose the online connection they have established. Depression reduces the concentration of children on their studies since their minds are confused by what they experience. Children, who suffer from cyberbullying, may have deterred growth and development, so they might have issues progressing from one stage to another (Wang, Nansel, & Iannotti, 2011). Children will not receive love and attention that they need for their successful growth and development. Their inability to engage with their parents and peers to talk about cyberbullying will make it hard for them to engage with others further in life. Depression leads to trust-related issues since children tend to avoid communicating with others since these problems are based on the bullying experiences they have encountered during adolescence.
Anxiety as the Result of Cyberbullying
Children and teens tend to develop anxieties when faced with cyberbullying. A state of fear and worry is registered among such children, and in most cases, they feel frightened, exhibiting a high level of intensified reactions. Unsolved anxieties often accelerate and lead towards disorders such as phobia and social anxieties (Navarro, Yubero, Larra?aga, & Mart?nez, 2011). Children tend to avoid any situation that exposes them to the world. Eventually, they tend to develop fear that is evident in the way they interact with others (Wang et al., 2011). For example, if someone mentions about social media platforms and the manner, in which people communicate with each other, they become frightened. Their past experiences may keep them away from the use of media platforms due to the fear of experiencing a similar event. Therefore, they tend to limit their movement, deciding to be stay in the areas where they are not in contact with other people. Extreme cases of anxiety can affect the mental state of teens, thus making it hard for them to engage in constructive thinking processes in schools (H?bert, C?nat, Blais, Lavoie & Guerrier, 2016). They may spend most of their time pondering about what has happened to them, which is dangerous for their mental state.
Low Self-esteem
Teens, who have experienced cyberbullying, have low self-esteem, which is an example of a psychological issue that teenagers face globally. Thus, they experience difficulties with evaluating their esteem levels, which is quite dangerous since at the teenage stage, this factor can deter their progressive development (Brewer & Kerslake, 2015). Such negative behaviors as cyberbullying affect them adversely since they start viewing themselves as inferior and unworthy. For example, if a teenager experiences a case where someone creates a Facebook page and uses their photographs inappropriately, their self-esteem is profoundly damaged. Similarly, someone might start spreading rumors about others, presenting and interpreting them as truthful. Consequently, teenagers might develop self-esteem issues and they would not want to be associated with other people, thus limiting limit their communication with others.
Teenagers have more issues, related to low self-esteem, as compared to children. The latter may not be cautious about how others view them, except for those who mature early. Adolescence is such a stage when people build their character and image; hence, anything that deters the achievement of this goal may affect them adversely. Girls experience more cases of low self-esteem as compared to boys. As they reach adulthood, it becomes hard for them to sustain relations and friendships due to this issue (Brewer & Kerslake, 2015). If they engage in a relationship, it does not last long because they cannot trust their partners and they are anxious most of the time. Thus, their adulthood is affected, and unless they work on their past problems, they will not be able to maintain normal relations with others.
Suicidal Ideations
Cyberbullying cultivates suicidal ideations among children and teens. Aggravated depression can highlight suicide cases among teens (Alavi, Reshetukha, & Prost, 2015). In the college environment, some teenagers decide to end their lives. An assessment of some of these issues reveals that such students have been cyberbullied and they have not managed to deal with these experiences. At times, they are used as points of reference by others, thus making their situation ridiculous. In addition to the real cases of suicide, failed attempts by teenagers are also registered. If a teenager experiences cyberbullying repeatedly, they might tend to view themselves as less important in society and decide to kill themselves. Therefore, they might consider suicide as the only solution to their problems, but such a decision is not an ideal one (Alavi et al., 2015). Teenagers do not share their cyberbullying experiences with other people, even their parents, which only aggravates the problem, turning it into a burden for them. If they took the initiative of talking openly about their problems, suicide cases would reduce significantly. Suicidal thoughts are a psychological problem because it is evident that bullied teenagers do not think straight in their condition.
Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Teenagers, suffering from cyberbullying, are likely to resort to using alcohol and drugs. The experiences they have encountered bring significant psychological harm to them. These events are still fresh on their minds, so alcohol and drugs are the only way to forget them. The new feeling, resulting from using drugs, takes their minds from cyberbullying (Peleg-Oren, Cardenas, Comerford, & Galea, 2012). Drugs are detrimental to their welfare and they can cause even more serious problems. Mental diseases among adolescents have been linked to the consumption of alcohol and drugs. Notably, some young people decide to have alcohol and drugs in large quantities, which exposes them to mental conditions in the future. Reduced attention to their studies among other areas of focus has been associated with the consumption of illegal substances. Within the school, environment, teenagers have deterred memory as well as lowered concentration, which subsequently lowers their performance (H?bert et al., 2016). Such a psychological state of their minds decreases their attentiveness and concentration in their studies as well as at home.
Dealing with Cyberbullying
The psychological state of children and teens can be protected with the elimination of the practice under discussion. Thus, it is the responsibility of each person to be compassionate and openly if they have been experienced cyberbullying. It is easy to manage issues once someone speaks about them as compared to silence since others may not even know what problems one has faced. Parents should learn to respond appropriately to the cases of bullying of their children (Lim, 2013). For example, they should not prohibit the Internet access to their children, but they should teach them about the safe use of social media. The Internet is a main part in the development of children and it requires an integration of parental support. Parents should also check their childrens gadgets since if there are possible threats to them, parents should contact the law enforcement authorities for an appropriate action (Lim, 2013). Software that can monitor and filter contents should be initiated to protect children and teens from cyberbullying. Finally, codes of conduct should be updated to include cyberbullying as a serious offense, punishable by law.
Conclusion
Overall, cyberbullying has adverse psychological effects on children and teens. Technology change has facilitated the existence of devices and tools that young people can use to interact with each other. However, these devices also help in such illegal activities as cyberbullying. Exposure to this practice has raised concerns about depression, anxiety, esteem issues as well as alcohol and drug use. The elimination of such psychological conditions requires everyones great efforts in dealing with cyberbullying. At times, it is hard to monitor and filter contents, and individual responsibility should exist as the appropriate solution to the issue in question. The world will be a better and safer place if people adopt the initiative of eradicating cyberbullying.
Purchase custom research papers on Psychology from our online academic writing service!
![]() |
Trilly M.
Spokane, WA
|
|
I just had to let you know how much I appreciated receiving a paper back that was of quality that high. I will recommend your writing service to other people I know. You guys do great work. |
![]() |
Judy C.
Bolingbrook, IL
|
|
I have used EssaysEmpire.com for two years now, and I wouldn’t even consider trying another writing service. I am convinced that there is no other service as good as EssaysEmpire.com, and I only want to work with the best. EssaysEmpire.com has given me well written papers that have come in well before their deadlines, every time. I am happy with EssaysEmpire.com and commit to sticking with them. |
![]() |
Della M.
Belfast, IR
|
|
I had to turn on my laptop for the express purpose of writing to you. I had to let you know what lifesavers you people are! I had never even considered hiring a professional writer to help me and was almost resigned to dropping out of school altogether. Then, I thought about it, and asked myself what it would hurt to try EssaysEmpire.com for just one paper. That paper was written astonishingly well! From that one paper, I learned many of the things that I did not know about writing. It was perfect, so I learned all about formatting in the APA style. I learned a lot, so I want to thank you for that. |
![]() |
Carolyn C.
Norman, OK
|
|
My paper was completed 3 days earlier than I had requested it. It needed no revisions and was much better than I had imagined. Thanks, EssaysEmpire.com! |
![]() |
Millie P.
Jackson, WY
|
|
Thanks goes out to the writer who filled my order. He did everything right the first time around. I had to ask for one tiny revision, but that was my own fault for leaving it out of the directions. |
![]() |
Katy A.
London, England
|
|
Your writers are very good at what they do. I would recommend your service to anyone. It is impressive and it doesn’t cost too much. |
![]() |
Thomas C.
Louisville, KY
|
|
I loved the paper that your writers helped me with. They wrote from a very interesting perspective that I had never even considered. My teacher was happy with the work, and so was I. Thank you very much. |
![]() |
Phoebe K.
Madison, CT
|
|
I find your writing company to be professional, proficient and perfect. Your papers are always so good! They make good reading, in addition to being well written assignments. I can tell your writers really know their stuff! |
![]() |
Tiffany E.
Monroe, LA
|
|
I am 100% satisfied with the writer that you assigned to my project. This person understood exactly what I needed, even though I’m not the best communicator and the instructions were tedious and difficult. I felt certain I would have to send my paper back for a number of revisions, but I didn’t. The writer was able to convey exactly what I wished to express and he did it in record time!Thanks for everything. EssaysEmpire.com is the greatest! |
![]() |
Mark C.
Mexico City, MX
|
|
Thanks to EssaysEmpire.com, I was able to keep my GPA up and will be graduating soon. I really needed assistance with my writing. I aced everything else, but I have always had problems expressing myself in writing. The writers at EssaysEmpire.com took the ball and ran with it! Because of them, I am going to graduate. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all of the valuable assistance. |
![]() |
Marcus H.
Eugene, OR
|
|
You’ve done it again! Every time I order a paper from EssaysEmpire.com, you top the last one. This latest one was the best yet. I truly do appreciate the fact that you offer such high quality writing. It never fails. With some of the other writing services online, you ever really know what you are going to get. Sometimes, they just sell you a paper that someone else has already bought. I never have to worry about things like that happening when I use EssaysEmpire.com. |
![]() |
Maddie P.
Seattle, WA
|
|
The EssaysEmpire.com website is so great! There are no mysteries to be solved. They give you the full layout about what they have to offer and how much it costs. No surprises. I had a couple of questions about the different options and their customer service rep was so friendly! She answered all my questions. I ordered my first paper and it was so well written that I got an A+ on it! Thank you, EssaysEmpire.com! |
![]() |
Bryce F.
Capistrano, CA
|
|
Thanks for the excellent job that you guys did on my history assignment and my bio research paper. I never could have done this on my own. |
![]() |
Royce E.
Dallas, TX
|
|
I first approached EssaysEmpire.com with skepticism. However, now, I have none. I am convinced that you are probably the best writing service on the Internet. Plus, you don’t overcharge, as so many writing services do. Thank you for the quality writing at affordable prices. You offer such a valuable service to students such as me. |
![]() |
Mia W.
Amherst, MA
|
|
Dear EssaysEmpire.com, I would like to put in a good word for Writer #32412. He was really under the gun. I didn’t give him much notice because I had my dates mixed up and my paper was due sooner than I expected. He didn’t let me down, though. He wrote until the paper was perfected. I handed it in on time got an A+ and wish your writers could accept tips, because I would leave this guy a HUGE one! |
![]() |
Bruce R.
Tulsa, OK
|
|
Thanks for everything. You guys know how to write so well! I will call on you again in the future. |
![]() |
Allen P.
Denver, CO
|
|
Writer #3827 is a great writer! I got an A+ on my very first paper of the term. This is the way to set the pace for the rest of the term. Thanks! |
![]() |
Josef H.
Houston, TX
|
|
The topic for my assigned essay was very intense. It involved a lot of research and knowledge of the subject. The writer who took care of it for me seemed to be a real expert. I found that so impressive! I just had to drop a line to let you know how much I appreciated the work he did. |
![]() |
Sarah M.
Portland, OR
|
|
Today was the perfect day to make an A+! It convinced me that there are solutions to problems that seem impossible to solve. When I realized that the due date for my paper was coming up quickly, I felt like there was nothing I could do. If I didn’t hand in my paper on time, I would get an F and fail the course. However, I had to study for 3 major exams and write two other papers. My roommate suggested that I turn the paper over to you guys, which I did, and voila! I got an A+ on it and the problem was solved. Thank you, EssaysEmpire.com and to your writers and staff. You are a great writing service. |
![]() |
Steve Y.
Ft. Worth, TX
|
|
I would just like to say that I am tremendously happy with the two papers that were written for me by the EssaysEmpire.com writers. They were just what I ordered….only better. |