Antonino Giordano
Ms. Alaei
English 100
26 November 2012
Essay Three Informed Argument
The digital age has brought society a different way to socialize and connect with each
other. We are now able to communicate with people around the world very easily and able to
distribute information in seconds. With such a progressive tool comes problems. People are able
to use social media to distribute information that can defend and bully people. The rise of such
hate on the internet is also known as cyber bullying. Cyber-bullying has brought bullying to a
larger audience. It affects people physically and emotionally. We live in a society where people
criticize each other more than we used to. Many kids cause and are affected by cyber bullying.
Their parents should take equal to most of the responsibility because their kids learn behaviors
from them and it is their duty to teach their children right from wrong. The parents have to pay
that much more attention because in many cases, parents are not aware of cyber bullying because
it is new to them and something they never had to deal with. Cyber-bullying physically and
emotionally affects people because of how wide it can spread. A catalyst for cyber bullying is
that it is anonymous and there is no personal interaction. Even though there are measures such as
privacy restrictions and simply avoiding social media that can avoid some cyber bullying it
doesn't deteriorate from the fact that the bullying can be made to where it is unstoppable.
Cyber-bullying is a new form of bullying that is very difficult to handle. Because it is
new, professionals do not have an exact idea to stop it. People cyber bully for many reasons.
Weather they are angry, have issues in the family, or are trying to be popular at school, cyber
bullying comes in many forms and has many complications that come with it. "[Some] forms of
cyberbullying occur, like placing someone’s picture on the Internet without permission, hacking,
sending MSN bombs or a virus and anonymous threatening mails... threats involving deadly
violence or setting the victim’s house on fire, as well as sexually oriented messages" (Dehue).
People are not used to this type of bullying. The stereotype of bullying is the bulky angry boy
picking on the small scrawny boy. Today, with cyber-bullying, the little scrawny boy can be the
bully as well as anyone else. Cyber-bullying is not like traditional bullying. "Putting something
on the Internet is a whole lot different than whispering it on the playground" (Billitteri 393).
When something is posted on the internet, it stays there forever unlike something that is verbally
passed at school. That internet post can travel to the next state, to the next country in seconds.
"The long-term impact of cyber bullying is greater than with traditional bullying. Digital images,
cell phones, and other electronic means can greatly increase the speed in which the bully's
messages can spread" (Meech). The problem that long-term effects are parallel with cyberbullying makes it terrible.
"Perhaps the greatest long-term effect is the loss of the home as a safe-zone. Traditional
bullying usually ended when a person was home, safe with their family. Cyber bullying enters
into the home and is with the students at all times (Strom & Strom, 2005)" (Meech). Because of
cyber-bullying, the victims do not feel safe anywhere. What was there safe-zone became an open
place for cyber-bullying. "For the victims, it hampers the interpretation of the message and the
encroachment on their formerly safe private environment makes the message especially harsh"
(Dehue). Because it is anonymous, the message can be taken even more defensive or dangerous
than it was intended to do and the fact that it has been received at home, a place of safety, makes
it much worse. At this point, the victims don't feel safe talking about their bullying problems
with anyone, even their parents. This is a serious problem. If people who are bullied tell someone
it will dramatically help them deal with it. There are different reasons why victims keep it a
secret. The most critical reason why it's kept a secret is because many parents are not
knowledgeable about cyber-bullying. "Experts say parents are often clueless about their
children's online activity and that adolescents tormented by cyberbullies often hide their
victimization from parents for fear of losing their computer and cell phone privileges" (Billitteri
393). These two main factors feed into the fire of cyberbullying. "Victims' silence and parents'
obliviousness- help cyberbullying to grow" (Billitteri 393). What if victims weren't silent and
they looked for help? What if parents learned about cyber-bullying and regulated what was being
distributed on the internet about their children? And it's not that the parents don't want to involve
themselves with social media. "[It] has to do with the fact that most parents are not familiar with
modern communication media, and are therefore probably not aware of their child engaging in
cyberbullying or being cyberbullied" (Dehue). Parents don't know what cyber-bullying has the
opportunity of doing so they aren't informed on how to prevent it. The parents have the
responsibility lying on their shoulders whether their child is the bully or the victim. That is why
it's extremely important for parents to supervise the cyber space of their children. "Under parentliability statues,... parents may be held liable for the harm caused by their children" (Billitteri
392) even if they are unaware that their child has been involved. Parents can be unaware that
their everyday decisions can affect whether their child will cyber-bully someone. The actions
that parents take at home play a vital part in children's. A study shows that "teens [who are more
involved in cyberbullying] may have fewer protective factors, such as family cohesion and
parental supervision, and more risk factors, such as drug and alcohol use and family conflict, that
could put them at increased risk for bullying behaviors" (Low).
"Another important difference is the lack of physical and social cues, which implicates
that cyberbullies are not personally confronted with the way their victims react and with the
consequences of the harassments" (Dehue). Anonymity could be the reason why some cyberbullying reaches the high levels of harassment that it does. I am not talking about the
stereotypical name calling. I am talking about the racist slurring, tormenting, and threatening.
The fact that it is anonymous makes the words especially harsh. It's much more likely for
someone to threat another being anonymous and threw text than it is in person. It does happen
both ways but much more because of anonymity. "Kids become emboldened by the false feeling
of being anonymous and they say things they might not have said in person (Beckerman &
Nocero, 2003)" (Meech). Everyone says things in text that they wouldn't say to a person's face.
The feeling of anonymity gives the cyber-bully a sense of protection. Many think they are
anonymous to the point that nobody knows it is them. Cyber-bullies may be anonymous to where
they aren't confronted with the victim but they also tend to think "their messages can't be traced
back to them- often a faulty assumption.' They may think they have achieved anonymity,' says
Willard of the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use" (Billitteri 396-397). Because of
this, such messages, pictures, and internet posts that have intended to bully someone may be
even more harsh. Many young cyber-bullies are not aware of the implications of their hate
words. The main reason may not be because they despise or hate another kid rather that it is
fitting to do so because everyone else is or something of a small importance. "Researchers say
adolescents often don't grasp that a vulnerable human being is on the receiving end of hateful
words and images" (Billitteri 396).
As we continue to live, life will continue to get more complicated. As life gets more
complicated it will develop and adapt. In the digital age, technology has developed at an
extraordinary rate. People are now capable of sending information anywhere in the world in
seconds. We can communicate with people much easier and efficiently. With a new and
developed way of communication comes new problems. Cyber-bullying has become a new
problem that today's children have been faced with and today's parents to learn about. Due to
leading factors such as anonymity and family behavior, cyber-bullying is even more brutal and
harsh than traditional bullying and because information can be stored on the internet forever, it
makes cyber-bullying something very difficult to maintain and a serious problem in today's
society. Cyber-bullying can lead to many psychological problems if not stopped. Simply talking
about such problems and being knowledgeable about the issue can make all the difference in
dealing with it. It is both the responsibility of the victim and parents. Without one or the other,
cyber-bullying can create devastating outcomes. Cyber-bullying will continue to grow and
certain implications must take place in order for it to be maintained and over passed.
Work Cited
Beckerman, L., & Nocero, J. (2003, February). High-tech student hate mail. Education Digest,
68(6), 37.
Billitteri, Thomas J. Cyberbullying. CQ Researcher. May 2, 2008. November 21, 2012
Cab, Cooper. GINGERS DO HAVE SOULS. Youtube. Jan 14, 2010. November 21, 2012.
Dehue, Francine. Cyberbullying: Youngsters' experiences and parental perception.
Low, S., Espelage, D. What Causes Teens to Become Cyber Bullies?. GoodTherapy.org.
Meech, Scott. Cyber Bullying: Worse Than Traditional Bullying. Tech&Learning. May 1, 2007.
November 21, 2012.
Peagram, Kortney. How to Protect Your Child From Cyberbullying. Chicago Now. November
19, 2012. November 21, 2012.
Strom, P., & Strom, R. (2005, December). When teens turn cyberbullies. Education Digest,
71(4), 35-41.