| The Futurama ride at the World's Fair in Flushing, New York predicted a new universe centered around technology that would "save us." |
Cyberbullying is when a person is bullied via a method of electronic communication usually seen on social media and messaging. Over the years people have become familiar with the term because the many campaigns to prevent cyberbullying from occurring. The problem is that cyberbullying simply cannot be stopped.
The internet and social media never stops. It is a 24/7 platform to post and say whatever you choose. But with the abundance of cyberbullying that goes on what may be a joke can turn into a tragedy. In 2017 suicide was the second leading cause of deaths of Americans ages 15 to 24 according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Suicide has been on the rise over the last decade, increasing 56% from 2007 to 2017.
| This chart shows the suicide rate among US youth according to the National Center for Health Statistics and the CDC. |
There have been many horrible stories about youth suicide cause by cyberbullying. In 2017, Mallory Rose Grossman of Rockaway, NJ committed suicide after SnapChat videos of her walking and sitting alone with captions saying that she had no friends were screenshotted and sent through Mallory's school. Many people have began to wonder if anything can be done to prevent these horrible acts of cyberbullying from happening and what can be done so teens do not have to risk their lives.
The truth is as long as there is internet and social media cyberbullying is not going away. These innovations have become an open opportunity for people to post, say, and spread mean things about other people. Worst of all, these platforms of social media continue to evolve as we see new innovations in technology and social media constantly. As for people who are victims of cyberbullying there is only so much you can do to save these lives. You can put as many mental health professionals as you want in schools to prevent teens from taking their lives. But the fact of the matter is that cyberbullying is something that just will not go away which will keep victims thinking of taking their lives.
While the innovations of the internet and social media are things we can't live without their is a deadly downside. Social media is a place where you should be able to express positive thoughts and feelings about yourself and not have to worry about what other people say about you. Unfortunately the major downside to technology in cyberbullying has escalated to the point where lives are being taken due to the dangerous people that are in our society that feel the need to put people down. What was once a place to people to escape is now of place of terror and worry. There are only so many campagins you can run and laws you can put in place to prevent cyberbullying from occurring. But as long as the big bully that is the internet and social media are still around, there is no stopping them from doing their damage to people's lives.
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