Social Networking in 21st Century: Harassing & Bullying on Social

Media

By: Kudrat Mann

INTRODUCTION

Social media basically means any human communication or sharing information on

internet that occurs through the medium of computer, tablet or mobile. Social Networking
is the use of websites and other internet services to communicate with other people and
make friends. (Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary and Thesaurus) There are
numerous websites and apps that make it possible. Social media has now become one of
the largest means of communication and has gained popularity rapidly. Social media
enables you to share ideas, content, information and news etc. at a much faster speed.

Social Networking Sites (SNS) have occupied a pivotal position in our lives so much so
that there seems to be no substitute of this branch of media. The first recognizable social
media site, Six Degrees, was created in 1997. It enabled users to upload a profile and
make friends with other users. In 1999, the first blogging sites became popular, creating
a social media sensation that's still popular today.

Since then social media has not looked back and is progressively outnumbering the older
forms of communication. Although social networking sites started as an alternative
means of communication, their scope has tremendously extended over the past decade.
Nowadays social media can practically do anything-share pictures, videos, locations or
even broadcast a LIVE of the exact situation you are in.

According to Boyd and Ellison [2], Social Network Sites (SNSs) are progressively
attracting the attention of academic and industry research due to their affordance and
reach. Therefore, it is considered as one of the top effective learning device which
improves communication skills and knowledge. Furthermore, Kaur and Kaur [3]
explained that Social networking sites are found to act as a major social influence which
impacts the personal life of the users. The emergence and popularity of social media have
made it easy for an individual to communicate in real time with the huge number of
strangers as with a single close friend. So one can widen their circle of online friends to
any extent with the use of social media.

[2] Danah M. Boyd and Nicole B. Ellison (2008). Social Networking Sites: Definition,
History and Scholarship, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. 13, pp. 210-
230. [3] Jasveen Kaur and Jaspreet Kaur (2015). Analyzing Social Networking Sites’
(SNSs) User Value: A Study among “Generation y” Cohort, Apeejay Journal of
Management and Technology. 10(1), pp. 41- 48.
Social Networking in 21st Century: Harassing & Bullying on Social
Media

CYBER BULLYING

Although technology provides numerous benefits to young people, it also has a ‘dark
side’, as it can be used for harm, not only by some adults but also by the young people
themselves. E-mail, texting, chat rooms, mobile phones, mobile phone cameras and web
sites can and are being used by young people to bully peers. It is now a global problem
with many incidents reported in the United States, Canada, Japan, Scandinavia and the
United Kingdom, as well as in Australia and New Zealand. This growing problem has as
yet not received the attention it deserves and remains virtually absent from the research
literature.1

Campbell, M. (2005). Cyber Bullying: An Old Problem in a New Guise? Australian

Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 15(1), 68-76. doi:10.1375/ajgc.15.1.68

According to Charlie R. Claywell [9], Use of social networks may disclose persons to
other forms of nuisance or even the wrong contact. This can be especially true for teens
and younger children. (Kavitha & Bhuvaneswari, Apeejay-Journal of Management
Sciences and Technology, 4 (1), October - 2016 ISSN -2347-5005)

In the 1990s, many incidents revolved around student-on-student violence, usually

involving guns. Schools implemented many programs to keep guns and gangs out of
schools. In the 21st Century, school violence is taking on a new and more insidious form.
New technologies have made it easier for bullies to gain access to their victims. This
form of bullying has become known as cyber-bullying. Social media websites are
becoming flagrant for cyber bullying. This has become a distressing trend. (Cyber-
Bullying: Creating a Culture of Respect in a Cyber World by Susan Keith and Michelle
E. Martin)

Bill Belsey, a nationally recognized educator from Alberta, Canada, gives this definition:
Cyber-bullying involves the use of information and communication technologies such as
e-mail, cell phone and pager text messages, instant messaging (IM), defamatory personal
Web sites, and defamatory online personal polling Web sites, to support deliberate,
repeated, and hostile behavior by an individual or group, that is intended to harm others.
Social Networking in 21st Century: Harassing & Bullying on Social
Media

A survey conducted by the Crimes against Children Research Center at the University of
New Hampshire (Wollack & Mitchell, 2000) found that along with sexual solicitations
and approaches online (19% of children surveyed received unwanted sexual solicitation),
six percent of the young people surveyed experienced harassing incidents, including
threats, rumors, or other offensive behavior, and two percent reported episodes of
distressing harassment that they described as making them feel very or extremely upset or
afraid.

A study from Ipsos polled parents in 28 countries to determine cyberbullying rates in

2018. It found that nearly one in five parents worldwide say their child has experienced

cyberbullying at least once. The problem is particularly bad in India which had the

highest rate of parents confirming instances of cyberbullying. A total of 37% of parents

across India said their child was bullied online, with 14% of that total saying the bullying

occurred on a regular basis. (McCarthy, Niall. New Report: Cyberbullying Is Most

Prevalent In India.FORBES)

A quick search on Orkut, one of the most popular social networking sites in Brazil,

reveals numerous online communities offering support for kids and teens who have

suffered cyberbullying.6 “The majority of people that was bullied don’t even know that it

is bullying,” says a teenage girl in an Orkut support community. “And people who know

are ashamed of it. Everybody only speaks about it here, because they can post

anonymously.” (by Grace,Gabriel.“What are the causes of cyber bullying?” English

BINUS University)
Social Networking in 21st Century: Harassing & Bullying on Social
Media

CAUSES

According to an anonymous (2014), “Cyber bullying happens for many of the same

reasons as any other type of bullying, but it may be even more appealing because it can

be done anonymously”. According to another anonymous (2015), there are two kinds of

people who are likely to bully; the socially active people and the socially inactive people.

It is said that bullying results in an upgrade of confidence, thinking the control is on the

hands of the bully as it is also the main reason of why socially active people may bully

other people; it makes them feel powerful as it is also a way to maintain their popularity.

How about the socially inactive people? Socially inactive people may bully other people

as it is a chance to fit in and to prove that they are not weak and that they are compatible

with their surroundings. Like the socially active people, bullying also makes socially

inactive people feel powerful. ((by Grace,Gabriel.“What are the causes of cyber

bullying?” English BINUS University)

The exact reason of why people do cyber bullying is unknown. Revenge motivated some

individuals to do cyber bullying. Being victims of bullying in daily lives make them think

harassing other people is only something that is natural as some people deserve to be

bullied. Occasionally, it is not enough.Some say they would start to find new targets that

seem to be weaker than them. Some individuals would bully only to boost their egos.
Social Networking in 21st Century: Harassing & Bullying on Social
Media

These individuals simply harass others to entertain themselves and their friends who

might also a bully for a high chance, not scared of getting caught as these individuals

believe they will not. Attention is what some people want. There is a chance they did not

gain it from their family; some are suffering from a family conflict. Most are starving for

the recognition of being powerful figures.Being an arrogant one is; some bully to remind

others of their social status which they believe are lower than theirs. Some do it because

the people around them are doing it as well. It is said that kids see it as a trend. If one

does not do it, others who are doing it would think that the ones who are not doing it are

incompatible with them, another reason for them to bully the ones who are not doing it.

((by Grace,Gabriel.“What are the causes of cyber bullying?” English BINUS University)

EFFECTS

Cyberbullying is more likely than other forms of bllying to go unreported to parents and
administrators. This is due to victims feeling they needed to learn to deal with it
themselves and also being afraid that if they tell their parents, their internet privileges
will be reduced or taken away. It has been found that 90% of respondents in the Juvonen
and Gross study (2008) reported not telling adults about cyberbullying incidents due to
these reasons. (: Juvonen J, Gross EF. Extending the school grounds?—bullying
experiences in cyberspace. J Sch Health. 2008; 78: 496-505). Victims of cyberbullying
may experience stress, low self-esteem, and depression. It has been found that
cyberbullying can also have extreme repercussions such as suicide and violence. Marr
and Field (2001) referred to suicide brought on by bullying as "bullycide" (Marr & Field,
2001, p. 1).
Social Networking in 21st Century: Harassing & Bullying on Social
Media

A particular victim of cyberbullying that led to "bullycide" is Megan Meier. Megan was a
I3-year-old female from Missouri who was cyberbullied to the point that she hung herself
in her closet in October of 2006 (Pokin, 2007). Megan thought that she was talking with a
16-year-old boy named Josh on MySpace. It was found that Lori Drew, the mother of one
of Megan's former friends, had created the fake MySpace account with her daughter.

According to a study conducted in 2008 by Hinduja & Patchin, (Hinduja, Sameer &
Patchin, Justin. (2008). Cyberbullying: An Exploratory Analysis of Factors Related to
Offending and Victimization. Deviant behavior. 28. 1-29.) females are as likely, if not
more likely, to be involved in cyberbullying in their lifetime. Although, when students
were asked about their recent experiences of being cyberbullies, males and females
responded equally. When asked about lifetime participation, females reported higher rates
of participating in cyberbullying, which leads one to believe females engage in these
activities for a longer period of time. Although traditionally males tend to bully in more
outward and public ways, according to this study, females are more likely to ensure that
their victims are embarrassed in front of a larger audience since they use social
networking sites instead of e-mail more often than males do. When it comes to being a
victim of cyberbullying, the results are about the same. Females are more likely to have
experienced the effects of cyberbullying than males, although the difference disappears
when they were asked about the last 30 days. The data shows that females are 6% more
likely to have been cyberbullied in their lifetime than males. Females also have increased
rates of being cyberbullied by someone at their school and having threats made online be
carried out at school.

SYMPTOMS

The Australian Government (2004) lists the following signs as things to look for: •
Spending a lot of time on the computer; • Having trouble sleeping or having nightmares; •
Feeling depressed or crying without reason; • Mood swings; • Feeling unwell; •
Becoming anti-social; and • Falling behind in homework.
Social Networking in 21st Century: Harassing & Bullying on Social
Media

PREVENTIVE MEASURES

Notice – Recognize if there has been a change in mood or behavior and explore what the
cause might be.

 Talk – Ask questions to learn what is happening, how it started, and who is
involved.

Document – Keep a record of what is happening and where. Take screenshots of harmful
posts or content if possible.

Report – Most social media platforms have clear policies and reporting processes. You
can contact app or social media platforms to report offensive content and have it
removed.

Support – Peers, mentors, and trusted adults can sometimes intervene publicly to
positively influence a situation where negative or hurtful content posts about a child.
(stopbullying.gov)

CONCLUSION

No other media platform has seen a larger growth than SNS in the 21 st Century. Owing to
its popularity, it is important to realize that there are two sides of every coin. One must
carefully weigh the positives and the negatives before engaging excessively in social
media. Becoming informed ourselves and spreading awareness is just one way to prevent
harassment on social media. If used in the correct way social media can be a boon for
mankind.
Social Networking in 21st Century: Harassing & Bullying on Social
Media