Cerda1

Cerda,Esmeralda

ProfessorSpitlerLawson

English113B

ProjectWeb

12May2017

WordCount:1345

CyberBullying:BodyShaming

Bullyingismorelikelytooccurononlinesources,whereanonymoususersare

influencedtopostandsenddisturbingmessagesbecausetheiridentityisunknownandprotected.

Thesepostsuploadedonsocialmediacanrevealanegativeoutlooktowardsothersand

disseminaterapidlyontheInternet.Peopleimmediatelyidentifysocialmediaasanegative

sourceusedtomakejudgmentstowardsotherusers;forexample,discriminatingsomeone

becauseoftheirphysicalappearance.Peopleoftenassociatesocialmediaasaharmfulsource

usedbyanonymoususers.Althoughharmfulpostshavebecomeamajorproblemonsocial

media,itshouldnotalwaysbeperceivedasanegativesourcebecauseitcanalsobeusedto

makeconnectionswithotherpeopleworldwide.SocialmediaoutletssuchasFacebook,

Instagram,andTwittercanbemajorcontributorstocyberbullyingbecausetheyhavebecomea

majoraspectofourlivesandwearealwaysassociatedwiththeminonewayoranother.The

influencethatsocialmediaoutletshaveonpeoplesidentityandselfperceptioncanbecritical

becausetheycandiscriminateagainstthosethathaveadifferentbodyshapeorsizeandcan

createproblemsfortheminthefuture.
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Cyberbullyingisacommonproblemonsocialmediasourcesbecauseitgivespeoplethe

opportunitytomakeanonymousaccountsfornegativepurposes,suchasuploadingharmful

posts.Italsogivespeoplewhodonotuseanonymousaccountsthecouragetoleavedisrespectful

commentsunderotheruserspostsbecausetheydonothavetoconnecttheirlocationtosocial

media.Therearedisadvantagesaswellasadvantagesonrevealingyouridentityonsocialmedia.

AccordingtoGuessWhoElseIsReadingThoseFacebookEntries?byEddieR.ColeJr.,

whenyouareintheprocessofajob,employersusesocialmediasourcestodecideifthe

applicantmeetsthejobrequirements.Althoughtwoapplicantsareequallyqualified,the

employerswouldratherhiretheapplicantwithgoodintentionsandgoodworkhabits.Inmy

opinion,socialmediapostsareusedtograsppeoplesattention.Ontheotherhand,thereare

limitationsthatyoushouldtakeintoconsiderationwhenpostingsomethingonline;forexample,

discriminatingapersonbecauseoftheirphysicalappearance.Thiswouldnotbeacceptablein

theworkforceandcyberbullyingcandamageapersonsreputationwhenapplyingforanyjobor

hurtpossiblecareeropportunities.Peoplewithweightproblemsaretypicallybulliedonsocial

mediaandithasbecomeacommonproblem.Victimsofbullyingoftensufferemotionally,and

caneventuallycontributetonegativeeffectsinthelongrun.

Theseonlinewebsitesconnectpeoplefromdiversecommunitiesandallowthemtoshare

posts,aswellasinformationthatisimportant.Forexample,socialmediaisusedasasourceto

informpeopleofcurrentevents.Ontheotherhand,socialmediacanalsobeusedasasourceto

networkwithotherpeopleandobtaininformationaboutpossibleopportunities.Bodyshamingis
amajorproblemononlinewebsitesbecausepeopleoftenjudgeapersonsphysicalappearance

andleavenegativecommentsundertheirposts.Theyobtaindifferingopinionsonapersons

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physicalappearanceandjudgeapersonbasedonhowtheyshouldlookandhowtheyshould

expressthemselves.Cyberbullyingoccurswhenpeoplecommentinsultingwordstodescribethe

physicalappearanceofapersonandhowtheypresentthemselves.Frommypersonal

experiencesonsocialmedia,thisproblemiscommonandoccursonadailybasis.Teenagersas

wellasadultsbehindtheseaccountsareusingdisturbingwordstocommentunderpeoples

personalaccountsonsocialmedia.Anotherreasontowhycyberbullyingoccursisbecausean

individualcannotbeassociatedwithagroupofpeople.Inordertofeelacceptedtoaparticular

group,youmustlookacertainway.Anonymousaccountsarenotonlyusedtohidetheiridentity

fromothers,butalsogivethemtheopportunitytocriticizepeoplebasedontheirphysical

appearance.

Bullyingcanoccurinschoolsandevenleadtocyberbullying.Thiscanbeaburdenof

stressforanyonetohandle.AccordingtoAmyG.CarneyandKennethW.Merrell,theauthors

offerawiderangeofresourcesthatthevictimcantakeintoconsiderationwhenapersonneeds

advice.Peoplewhoexperiencebullyingcancopewithsuchstressorsbytakingadvantageof

helpfulresourcesoffered.Theyofferinterventionprogramstopreventbullyingfromoccurring

andtoreducetherateofvictims.Thearticleexposesthereaderstomultipleintervention

programsthathelpthepersonbreakdowntheissueofbullyingandpreventbullyingfrom

happening.Cyberbullyingcanleadtonegativeeffects;therefore,activistsshouldparticipatein

bullyingawarenessgroupstoinformthecommunityabouttheirmainpurpose.
 Therearemultipleoptionsgiventopreventcyberbullyingfromoccurringonanysocial

mediawebsite.Forexample,Facebookaswellasothersocialmediawebsitegiveusersthe

optiontoreportpagesthatareknownforbullyingandpostingdisrespectfulcommentsonany

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socialmediaaccount.Thisstrategycandrasticallydecreasethenumberofvictimsandcanbe

usedtopreventcyberbullyingfromoccurring.Inmyopinion,Ibelieveitisessentialforschools

toofferbullyingprogramstoinformpeopleofthestrategiesthattheycantakeintoconsideration

todisregarddisturbingcommentsfromothersinpersonaswellasonline,wherebullyingoften

occurs.

Anotherstrategythatshouldbetakenintoconsiderationisaquestionnairesurveythat

askswherebullyingoccursandwhoisinvolvedinsituationslikethese.Thiscanhelpdecrease

thenumberofvictimsbulliedonsocialmedia.Peoplehavehigherchancesofbeingbullied

online;therefore,interventionprogramsshouldbeofferedforpeopletohaveeasyaccess.

Interventionprogramscanbeveryhelpfulwhensomeoneisinneedforsomeadviceina

situationlikethis.Beneficialoutcomescanresultfrombullyingawarenessgroups;forexample,

attendingtheseprogramscanhelpdecreasethenumberofpeoplewhohaveanegative

perceptionabouttheirphysicalappearance.

Someeffectsthatcanresultfromvictimsbeingbulliedaremanifestationsofdepression

orsuicidalthoughts,whichcanbeaffectiveinthelongrun.Thereareavarietyofstrategiesthat

canbetakenintoconsiderationtopreventbullyingfromoccurringbecauseithasbeenamajor

issueformostusersonsocialmedia.AccordingtoAliciaVanOrmanandBethJaroszinThe

ComplicatedWebofTeenLives2015BullyingReport,suicideisthesecondleadingcauseof
deathintheUnitedStates.Ifapersonisvictimizedofbullyingthevictimwillusuallysuffer

fromdepressionandthechancesofcommittingsuicidearemuchhigher.Therearedifferent

stagesofsuicide;forexample,suicidalideation,suicidalattempts,andbehavior.Thestressthat

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thevictimholdsontocanleadtosuicidalthoughts,depression,ormentalandphysicaldamage

andcanhaveagreatimpactinthelongrun.

AccordingtothearticlewrittenbyAliciaVanOrmanandBethJarosz,itinformspeople

ofonlinesafetyandexplainsthatapproximately40,000Americansbetweentheagesof1524

commitsuicideeveryyear.Depressionisanothermanifestationthatapersoncanrecognizewhen

anindividualissufferingandisinneedofsomehelp.Thereisavarietyofbullyingintervention

programstotakeadvantageofinordertobreakdowntheissueofbullyingortohelpprevent

bullyingfromtakingplaceonline.

Thereshouldbebullyingawarenessgroupsthatfightagainstcyberbullyingandthat

promoteacceptanceofeverybodyregardlessoftheirphysicalappearance.Ifwecreatethese

groups,wecandecreasetheamountofpeoplethathavenegativeperceptionsoftheirbodiesand

increasetheamountofpeoplethathaveapositivebodyimage.Societycangreatlybenefitfrom

thisbecausemanypeoplewillbeinformedofthemanystrategiesthattheycantakeinto

considerationtodisregardthenegativeperceptiononpeoplesphysicalappearanceandhavea

healthiersociety.Therefore,promotingbullyingawarenessgroupswillhaveasignificantimpact

oncyberbullyingandbodyshaming.
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WorksCited

Carney,AmyG.,andKennethW.MerrellBullyingInSchools.SchoolPsychology

International.N.p.,2001.Web.16Mar.2017.

ColeJr.,EddieR.GuessWhoElseisReadingThoseFacebookEntries?.PopPerspectives.

Ed.LauraGrayRosendale.2006.166169.Print.

VanOrman,AliciaandJarosz,BethTheComplicatedWebofTeenLives2015Bullying

ReportN.p.,n.d.Web.15Mar.2017.

Winter,Katy.FatShamingCanHaveMuchWorseImpactonMentalandPhyscialHealththat

RacismorSexism.DailyMailOnline.AssociatedNewspaper,09May2014.Web.17

Mar.2017.