Mehjabin Sultana Zaman Anika
Bullying, in the past, was only a feature of school or a playground. As technology takes over our lives, cyberbullying has been emerging to be a pervasive threat to our society.
In this fast-paced world, technology has advanced more than ever before, exposing young people, especially teenagers more to cyberbullying.
Cyberbullying demands to be a grave issue affecting not only young victims but also their families, bullies, and witnesses. The victim of cyberbullying, however, may encounter a multitude of emotional issues that have a drastic impact on their social and academic performance as well as their mental health.
Several reasons may come into play when it concerns cyberbullying. It could be one’s physical appearance, mental disabilities, sexual orientation, and so on. The ordeal of cyberbullying can be extremely taxing to fend off living in a digital world where most things rely on technology. That anyone can disguise themselves behind the four-sided screen makes it even more perilous.
As it is foreseeable, bullying can immensely take a toll on a young individual’s life—cruel words hidden as bombs, barbaric remarks disguised as guns. Depression hits differently when cyberbullying leaves little to no opportunity for the victims to defend themselves. The effects also include mental health issues, increased stress and anxiety, acting out violently, isolation and low self-esteem.
Providing us with pace and efficiency, while technology can be phenomenal from various dynamics, it can be a menace too. The psychological toll of cyberbullying can turn out to be excruciating and that is certainly why a change is required for a harmonious, stress-free society.
It is to be considered that everything seems greener on the other side, but plenty of stories remain untold behind closed doors. A trivial harmless joke can emerge as a full-blown cyberbullying campaign if words are not used empathetically. The bully culture should be distinguished, and parents should know what their children are up to. The same rule applies to the bullies’ & victims’ parents; both should be aware of their whereabouts. Parents should have an open mindset regarding listening to their children and giving them advice. More so, asking for professional help is nothing to be ashamed of. As they say, “better late than never.”