With the introduction of social media in the early 2000s, there’s no doubt that technology has consumed humanity. For better or for worse, the advancement of technology has infiltrated the lives of many, including some of the most susceptible people of society: high school students.
Even before social media became a factor in how students act toward each other, teenagers have always had trouble coexisting in school. With the addition of Instagram, Snapchat and Tiktok, this tense atmosphere is certainly amplified.
Cyberbullying, the act of tormenting, harassing or otherwise harming another person via online social networking platforms, has become a worldwide phenomenon since the rise of social media. Bullies now have the ability to hide behind a screen in order to degrade others.
Middle school cyber safety teacher Mr. Murphy states, “Students being safe on social media is something we talk about because of the issues they are facing in the world today. A recent study we looked at showed from 2015 to 2022, the average percentage of 13-17 year olds that get on social media daily rose from 24% up to almost 60%. The increase of teens and even adults using social media are the main reasons why it is important to know how to use social media safely.”
Instagram, a popular photo sharing platform, has become one of the biggest hosts for cyberbullying since its creation in 2010. When someone posts a photo, other people can comment on it, allowing for everyone to speak their mind. Subsequently, judgment takes over, leaving the person who initially posted the photo feeling ashamed of themselves.
As a society, looking at the effects of social media means looking at how the behavior of people online affects others outside of the screen. In most cases, the person being attacked is left feeling depressed, negative, and in the most severe cases, suicidal. According to a 2019 study done by the CDC, 18.8% of high school students seriously considered suicide as a direct result of cyberbullying.
In order to prevent tragic events from happening as frequently as they do, it is imperative to treat one another with compassion and understanding both in person and online.
“The older you get the more you understand why online safety is important. Whether this be being safe online with your own information or not putting or searching for things on the internet you shouldn’t, online safety is important in life. Jobs look at what you have done online, especially social media, this is something we talk about often,” Murphy remarks.
Overall, posting on social media has lasting effects. To mitigate this, consider how the things being posted online will affect the person posting as well as the people around them.
