With new technology arises the opportunity for new problems that will require new and innovative solutions, not to mention an extra effort on the part of technology users to rein it in, so to speak.
Cyberbullying arose with the advent and popularity of texting with the current technology-savvy cell-phone generation of kids. The use of texting has spread to all generations who use cell phones, and along with that are abuses, such as threatening or harassing texts, or other forms of bullying using texts.
There are examples of youths sending embarrassing or threatening texts en masse, not only to all their friends but to the entire school, even setting up fights or opportunities for a person or persons to be swarmed by a mob.
Unfortunately, not all of these are reported to the police; they should be, and indeed, need to be, because the privilege of using cell phones is one that ought not to be abused simply because cells are so widely and easily available to anyone who wants it.
While youth are savvy to the latest technological marvels on the market, they may not be savvy to the human cost when it's used to bully people; for one thing, the heavy use of texting removes the element of personal contact with other people, and of the consequences of their actions. They don't see the hurt and pain caused by abusive, threatening or derogatory texts and photos, and seem not to care when they incite violence against a person or persons by the use of
texting to organize mob violence.
Another consequence of the abuse of the technology is the fact that once something is
out on the Internet, it's there forever, and you can't reverse the impact and hurt of words and/or pictures once it spreads onto the World Wide Web. To be ignorant of this is an egregious negligence that again seems easy because there's so little personal human contact anymore.
In addition, the consequences could last for years; what may seem funny or cool at 14 may come back on you at 21 when you apply for a scholarship, or at 30 when you apply for an important new job. The damages may be to your reputation, or to those who are being made fun of.
Those who receive cyberbullying messages ought to make full use of the technology, and make sure the messages aren't deleted, but are taken to the authorities who can in fact prosecute those responsible.
Youth should be made aware that cell phone use can be taken away; since they've grown up with it, they could not imagine life without it, anymore than they can live life without a computer. They need to learn that there are consequences to their actions, and there are real people being hurt. - Greg Nikkel
