Facebook, Instagram, snapchat, twitter, WhatsApp and many sites that are more social are there, which has made world reachable to you instantly, but this internet world and sites might allow some negatives to enter your life. For e.g. you post, picture or video can be misused. Sending, sharing, posting negative or harmful content or mean/false contents and comments about someone is Cyberbullying. Sexual harassment by phone, text, personal comments on social sites, apps or for that matter by bullying by an online feature on the internet is cyberbullying.
Internet with all its advantage is a 24*7 tool the world has. After sharing, a post you slept does not conclude that no one is online. Strangers, as well as acquaintances, might often view this post shared by you and one negative use of your post by someone can ruin your online reputation.
Online reputation influences one’s reputation among people in society. In addition, the bad news is that cyberbullying is persistent as well as permanent. Harmful bullying can have any faces, like sexual remarks, threats, blackmailing, and rumours or hate speech etc. Consequences of cyberbullying have been surprising. Most between 12 to 16 years of age are getting cyberbullied. A teenager killing another teenager or killing himself, blacklisting of students in colleges and schools, a boycott by society, peer pressure, low self-esteem, etc are the results encountered in most of the cases.
A shocking graph has revealed in a survey in 2014 that women send 80% of a body -shaming tweets, while they accounted for 50% of misogynistic tweets. Moreover, another scenario showed that online gaming is also turning towards sexual harassment rather just a game. A person even commented that it is not fun game otherwise. In 2013, pew research study came with a report that eight out of ten teens who use social media are sharing more posts and personal information like location, image, work and family. This report is alarming. Information that is more personal can turn more abusive. Therefore, teens, as well as parents, have to be careful while sharing anything socially.
In India, a strong talk in the name of “cybercrime” is on the rise. However, the question is- is it necessary to make law first or crime? Awareness against cyberbullying is necessary and parents should take responsibility because one who is bullying and one who is been bullied, both are in a bad reputation and their future is in dark equally.
Once your post is public, there is no guarantee of it being the same in nature if-if you delete it. Your hacked password can expose you or can destroy your privacy in seconds. We should take responsibility to prevent cyberbullying. Do not share information publically which you would be uncomfortable with, in future. If you are the victim, share your problem with parents and friends whom you believe and if necessary with the police. Moreover, if you see it happening then try to help the person again by making him aware of the positives and possibilities and never hesitate to take help.
It is awesome to be social, but sharing content, which is more personal, is risky.
