Nearly all educational institutions regularly use technology for educational reasons, and many other organizations also use it to carry out their core business operations. (Lenhart et al. 356). The level of online interaction via broadcasting has reached a peak recently thanks to the rise in computer usage and the development of smartphones. (Lenhart et al. 357). The Pew Research Center found that social media is one of the most widely used platforms, with 92 percent of American youths using it primarily for connectivity.
It appears that the misuse of the system has been made worse by the pertinent agents' reduced scrutiny of media users and their lack of awareness and education. Although the system has got several advantages, such as improving connectivity, organizing for events, and coordinating activities of the organization, the participants have continually tormented and insulted their colleagues. From the Nelmapius and Boshoff's research that ascertained, "achievement of goals drives the urge for more accomplishments however small," there have been increased actions of online oppressors since they get positive comments from the Internet users (Silva n.p). As a result, they continually extend their perceived malicious intentions and even influence the adolescents. The habit has steadily culminated into various instances of low self-esteem and image as well as the depression cases. However, such issues have been significantly neglected at their scope until they become worse than expected.
The paper will take a categorical stand that the media usage concerns much with cyber bullying. Tentatively, the research will explore the reasons for the increased intimidation of the online, how social media adoption causes cyber bullying and how the practice results in depression, low self-image, and esteem (Sullivan et al. 202). Finally, the research will deliver the recommendations that would mitigate the unhealthy media practices. The participants of social media have continually departed from the universally acceptable morals and instead, concerns in making abusive posts on the platform, giving negative comments on pictures, creating fun using videos to insult others, and illegally hacking accounts.
Why the Act of Bullying Has Been Common over the Social Media
The increased accessibility of electronics such as cell phones and computers has advanced the use of the Internet for malicious reasons. From the cyberbullying research, over 80 percent of the youths have a direct connection with the mobile phones (Black, Mezzina, and Lindsay 18). As they continually use the platform wholly for connectivity as they usually perceive, however, the satisfactions and outcomes obtained have always contradicted the initial plan.
While the increased availability of the cell phones among the teenagers has directly given rise to the extensive usage of Internet, several cases of constant cyberbullying have always been observed (Black, Mezzina, and Lindsay 19). The situation has become undesirable because of the introduction of the tablets and more portable devices. Among the adolescents who are subscribers to social networking, one would readily encounter harassment when they exchange insulting texts either amongst individuals or groups, flaming connoting the instant online fight via messaging, and masquerading in which the bullies create the fake identities to intimidate their fellows.
Another reason for the prevalence of cyber bullying via the social media is the lack of a proper communication and reporting of the incidence to the parentages. The cyberbullying research affirms that about a half of the youths who are using the social media have experienced intimidation in one way or the other whereas 10 to 20 percent of them experience the act regularly (Lenhart et al. 359). The study by Young et al. (5) affirms that a half of the young populace appears reluctant to report the oppression obtained via media. Presumably, they think that reporting such instances would make them lose the Internet privileges and enjoyment, as well as being subjected to punishment in case they also participated in the actions. In such circumstances, the fate of the intimidation keeps on rising rather than declining.
How Social Media Causes the Cyberbullying
Taking, for instance, Facebook, the system has got a widespread popularity and increased capability to share photos and other means. The media is created in a manner that the users type their 'likes' to express the level of enjoyment with the posted pictures (Young et al., 7). Of course, one would develop a habitual behavior and motivation based on the regular exposure to the inducements. In such scenarios, they would purport to revisit the site every time to showcase the interest by subscribing to the malicious photos of which some belong to intimidators
Mistreatment situation at the Facebook has been the most pronounced. In support, the report from Washington post unearthed that nine out of ten Facebook users have been victims of bullying either directly or indirectly (Washington 21). With the lack of physical appearance amongst the subscribers, the situation has even appeared more severe. The users take advantage of the missing personal interaction to increase harassment through the channel. Once posted, a picture generates a series of likes extending the online oppression and malicious acts amidst the network users.
Other social media platforms also have a stake towards cyberbullying. The Huffington post went further to unveil that twitter has succeeded in spreading up to fifteen thousand daily tweets that are intimidating and are being widely circulated throughout the subscribers' accounts. Still, lack of visibility and physical presence advances the behavior. Also, both Ask. FM and SnapChat have jointly worked hand on hand to bring a significant mental toucher and bullying of the teenagers (Young et al. 9). The two media varieties have resulted in many cases of suicides for the subscribers among which incorporate the 2013 perversity of a thirteen-year-old girl.
Social Media Cyberbullying and Depression
Over time, several pieces of research on social media effects have shifted their attention on the social depression effects of the platform. The recent study in the journal JAMA Pediatrics outlines that nearly 23 percent of the youths using social networking have been subjected to online bullying and that 15 percent of the number has participated in the act in one way or the other (Hamm et al. 770). Similarly, the researcher's review on ten studies ascertained the high-level correlation between social media use and the level of depression.
Amongst the students and the adolescents, several health-related issues of cyberbullying have been observed. The studies by Michelle Ham and his friends on the Internet utilization in colleges found within the US and the use of social media by the learners contended that the majority of the Facebook users were mainly the adolescents between 13 to 18 years of age (Hamm et al. 772). From the number, it came out clearly that the relationship issues significantly contributed to harassment especially for the females who reported that they were once part of the intimidation from their love partners via the social media.
Furthermore, Ham and his colleagues ascertained the interrelationship between cyberbullying and downheartedness. Through a correlation analysis between the level of anxiety and bullying through the social media, the outcome was a weak relationship (Hamm et al. 773). In reminisce, Joan, who was seventeen years old, was a clever and ever a cheerful lady who would happily greet and welcome everyone in our village. With her tablet that she acquired through her father, she always spent her time online especially after accomplishing her assigned tasks. After two weeks when they were on holiday, she started worrying everyone who knew her better. Full with unusual behaviors, she now maintained silence and was ever moody. The trend went for some period until her mother one day took her tablet unnoticeably while she was a sleep and found the nature of conversation she had with her boyfriend over the Facebook. From the conversation, her last text to the boyfriend was that 'I am about to take away my life because of you.' It came out clearly that the lady had been undergoing intimidation from the friend, and undoubtedly, that could be the problem of her stressors.
Besides the anxiety disorders, the post-traumatic disorders, stress complications, and phobic cases have been dominant amidst the teens. The conditions, whenever to occur, make the young lose even the appetite and more seriously, they opt for committing suicide. The 2012 Centre of Disease Control (CDC) findings unearthed that perversity is ranked the third in causing the death reasons of the teenage between 15-24 years old (Sullivan et al. 201). Further, organization reiterated that the youths who are addicted to social media have a double likelihood of committing suicide as compared with the rest who are non-participants.
Recently, a young boy aged sixteen years was following a series game via the Instagram called the 'Blue Whales program'. Always, he was keen, and he took his time to follow the proceedings. One day, the boy was found to have hanged himself all of a sudden. At that point, those who found his phone could notice that the stage of the play was at suicide scene. Additionally, he had typed into the google search engine "how to commit suicide." Indeed, he ended up in a pathetic way, having been misled by the social media (Silva n.p). Therefore, the demise would be absent given that there were no media.
Social Media Cyberbullying and Low Self-Esteem
Usually, the existence of the favorable social environment determines the safe identity and development of the adolescents (Hamm et al. 774). Therefore, the teens always tend to solicit for the behaviors and actions that nurture the positive values while omitting the once that keep on devaluing them. The nature of the online conversation that tends to underrate as well as demoralize the adolescents imparts a negative implication in them and may take away the zeal towards a bright future that they would portray.
Similarly, the erosion of teenagers' esteem comes when they continually use the social media, yet they get negative feedbacks. A study on the reasons for social media usage discovered that the youth felt much better and venerated when they get a notification towards the comments they make (Lenhart et al. 365). Among the rhetorical questions that are frequently developed in their minds are; 'Why are my comments ignored, why did I fail to get more likes than the colleagues?' Such queries create a competitive state due to a series of worries and pressure. Some go to the extent of underrating themselves and creating a feeling of unworthiness while using Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
The research by Harm and his counterparts ascertains a lower self-esteem amongst the cyberbullying victims and offenders as compares to the non-participants (Hamm et al. 776). On the side of learners, the lack of self-assurance has continually resulted in a peculiar phenomenon that includes poor performance in academics, high level of school absenteeism, indulgence in the criminal behaviors and offenses, and long-term deterioration in good health among others.
From the CNN article, Eileen Masio, a mother of two kids tries to defend the fact that social media greatly assist in maintaining the confidence of the teenagers. The reactions emanate from the fact that when her daughter, Amelia posts her snaps on the press, the resulting comments are marvelous, using related terms like 'gorgeous, cute,' thus creating the sureness (Silva n.p). Conversely, in the same article, Shira Lee Katz who is the Common Sense Media's director argues contrary to the case that every upsetting instance of cyberbullying scopes from the use of social media for personal gratification. While the anticipation is always centered on the excellence climax, however, when negative comments are made, the media users think otherwise and would think to demean themselves.
Social Media bullying and Self Image
Self-image connotes the idea and insight of an individual's personality, outlook, and abilities. The positive image occurs when there is a full surety that one has a reputable and recognizable appearance that is representable before people (Levine and Murnen 10). In matters of size and stance, the most affected groups are the children and the females. The common sense survey findings on children, media, teens and body image accords that the adolescents are much concerned with the way their physical appearances are perceived by others (Clark 66). From the outcomes, ladies are the most vulnerable group. Similarly, the research adds that 35 percent of the adolescents fear being tagged in attractive photos, 27 percent appearing stressed up while contemplating how they would be looking at the pictures, while 25 percent feels offended by ignoring their photos.
Adolescents and women have continually been comparing their body complexities with the celebrities and their friends through the social media (Levine and Murnen 12). Whenever they post their selfies via the Instagram and Facebook, often they become perturbed with the implication of their snaps by others. In practice, some have shown emotions and become hurt and demoralized more so, when negative comments are made against them. While the agitating purpose for posting personal snaps is to get motivation, the reverse of being insecure follows when negative comments are given by the viewers.
On the other hand, males are similarly affected by the issues of size, though in a different way. While females tend to be insecure about their big masses, men, on the other hand, exhibits an odd experience (Levine and Murnen 16). From the survey that incorporated more than 2000 male high school students in Canada, 30 percent of the respondents showed dissatisfaction with their body sizes, and the similar number reported that they would rather make steps to acquire the masculine bodies. Notably, the extensive use of social media where they view the body structures of the celebrities and their allies acts as the facilitating factor. As a result, some teens may end up acquiring unpresentable body make up that would be unpresentable. Could there be an absence of such exposure to the persuasive environment, all the irrational intentions could be lacking.
Conclusion
Overall, the efforts to curb the malicious intentions that have consistently caused some Internet danger call for a stiff law. Over time, cyberbullying has been under limited concerns. The few spotted cases have always been self-centered upon the interference or unlawful acts against the celebrities and those in critical position while neglecting the youths. Increased attention to the issue would change the social media platform by limiting harassment amongst the online community. That could be implemented by integrated approaches of various global countries to enforce the legislative measures that guide the media use and avoid compromising any offender.
On the other hand, there should be increased education and awareness on the side of every key stakeholder. The designers of the technology should come out clear to elucidate comprehensively, the demerits and merits of using social media. Also, they should provide directions on the circumstances that would lead to suicides so that the subscribers to be vigilant and have a prior contemplation of the dangers before exploring their interests. To implement the strategy, there should be a properly-organized training especially through various learning institutions beginning from kindergarten schools to colleges and universities. The effort should be highly targeting the youths.
Ultimately, there is a critical role for the teens. In the first case, they should create an awareness of the bully cases to their parents as soon as they occur. They should also stop responding to malicious texts, and block or unfriend the bullies. If the intimidators supersede the boundary, they should be able to capture the necessary pieces of evidence for scrutiny and disciplinary actions against the offenders. In achieving the program, parents should be encouraged to be more vigilant and become highly cautious and should be ready and willing to examine the manner in which their siblings utilise the social media. Also, they must be flexible to undertake the immediate disciplinary actions for the Intimidators of their kids.
Works Cited
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Clark, Nancy. "Social Media and Body Image: #Fitspiration at Its Worst." American Fitness, vol. 35, no. 2, 2017, p. 66.
Hamm, Michele, et al. "Prevalence and Effect of Cyberbullying on Children and Young People: A Scoping Review of Social Media Studies." JAMA Pediatrics, vol. 169, no.8, 2015, pp. 770-777.
Lenhart, Amanda, et al. Social Media & Mobile Internet Use among Teens and Young Adults. Millennials. Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2010.
Levine, Michael P., and Murnen, Sarah K. ""Everybody Knows that Mass Media are/are not [Pick One] a Cause of Eating Disorders": A Critical Review of Evidence for a Causal Link Between Media, Negative Body Image, and Disordered Eating in Females." Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, vol. 28, no. 1, 2009, pp. 9-42.
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Sullivan, Erin M., et al. "Suicide Trends among Persons Aged 10-24 years - United States, 1994-2012." MMWR, vol. 64, no.8, 2015, pp. 201-205
Washington, Edwina T. "An Overview of Cyberbullying in Higher Education." Adult Learning, vol. 26, no.1, 2015, pp. 21-27.
Young, Rachel, et al. "Social Representation of Cyberbullying and Adolescent Suicide: A Mixed-Method Analysis of News Stories." Health Communication, 2016, pp. 1-11.
Works Consulted
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