In reaction to this: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/cyberbullying-isnt-real
It is very likely that this person has never experienced what it's like to be cyberbullied, or at least, this person still doesn't understand that everyone's brains are not going to be the same as hers.
Not only that, but this person victim blames anyone who commits suicide by cyberbullying by saying the following: "Honestly, if someone blames texting or online activity for their suicide... they are insane. Cyber-bullying is not real! If someone who is online and not actually pestering you in your physical, real life is powerful enough to force you to suicide without meeting you or knowing you, then you are the weak one."
This is just disgusting on so many levels. This person is dictating how a victim should feel. According to this logic, saying such thing is no different than saying saying it's "weak" or "insane" when a child commits suicide because an adult said "take your clothes off" and then posted it online. It's also no different than when someone discriminates you in real life.
The internet is nothing more than just a communication and there is zero evidence to suggest that being miles away causes a difference. Words on the internet can effect the brain, just like the examples I put out (example of child exploitation and real life verbal discrimination). This person is obviously deciding with no real backup evidence that words on the internet are magically different, and this person has yet to understand how physiology works.
That has failed to prove that discrimination at school with real life words are different than discrimination with words on the internet in terms of abuse.
There are many effects of cyberbullying, and many people need to have a social media life.
If someone uses a social media life and gets harassed 24/7, that is an issue. Sometimes blocking won't work. Another problem is that many people can backlash against other people's safe and legal work because they are in a prejudiced stage for example. This unsafe environment causes the victim to feel less accepting and less hopeful just like being at a work place, or school. Another problem is how many forms of the internet can put terrible labels like slut shaming over people on the internet, causing it harder for the person to openly express themselves, just like in real life. Posting false information about someone is dangerous and hurtful and "turning off your computer" or "blocking" isn't going to prevent that.
Many examples I've used can effect the brain physiologically and some of these can be itself threatening regardless of how one feels.
So again, to call someone "insane" or the "weak one" is a very idiotic and evil thing to do. Anyone who said that are no different than victim blamers of child sexual exploitation or verbal discrimination in real life.
Addressing Further Comments
"If someone is harassing you online, you have so many options to get rid of them and ignore their presence; none of these options is suicide."
"Option one: turn off your computer or your cell phone. Get out of whatever app this person is harassing you on. This will allow you to cool down and think about your actions and theirs and be able to not have to listen to their comments on whatever social media they’ve targeted you on."
That won't work for everyone: Some people need to use the internet for social life, just like in real life. Some people also cyberbully others for some things not being wrong, telling the victim to change so the cyberbully can get away with it is morally wrong.
"Option two: block the person annoying you on whatever social media they are using to contact you. By doing this, you will be unable to see their comments and they will be unable to properly contact you and force you to commit suicide (if you are this weak). Yes, the person can just create a different account to harass you on, but then you can continue to block that new account. It is not that hard! "
Will that stop people from spreading false information about you? Will that stop people from talking behind you behind their backs like in real life? Will that stop insane harassment?
And really for your last sentence? It can possibly get hard, and to dictate that it's not a big deal over other people who have less control feelings is just wrong.
"Option three: Report the user who is “bullying” you online and try to get their account taken down and suspended. In this, the user will be unable to stop anything from going too far if the social media site does take down their account and suspend them from creating more."
I was a victim of one person trying to cyberbully me by making public hate arts directed at me. The person was suspended from the website, at least twice, but did that stop the person from stalking many of my accounts, did it stop the person from making updates with other people about me? Did it stop the person from going to another website with imitation, hate art, lack of credit of art, did it stop the person from downloading fictional child pornography increasing the risk of getting others in trouble, and what might be false information outside of the imitation issue? I don't think so.
"Option four: be strong and don’t be so easily persuaded by text on an electronic screen telling you what to do and to end your existence. This will show that you are not weak and that you are in fact a smart person who can make decisions for themselves instead of basing everything around what others think or tell them."
Bullshit, that's like telling victims of child verbal sexual abuse to stop being "weak" or telling those of discrimination at school to stop being "weak".
It's true that some people can survive cyberbullying, but the same can be said for bullying, and child verbal sexual abuse, and even child molestation.
There is no evidence that online communication is different than communication in real life as the internet is mainly a tool to communicate to real people as well. Growing up in a real life place is no different than using social media as an alternative, and many things on the internet can be similar to the issues in real life places, while some things can also be direct real life threats.
- Verbal abuse on the internet is verbal abuse in real life.
- Sexual harassment on the internet is sexual harassment in real life.
- Sexually talking to minors on the internet is the same thing as sexually talking to minors in real life.
- Slut shaming on the internet is the same thing as slut shaming in real life.
- Defamation on the internet is just as bad as defamation in real life.
- Publicly shaming homosexuals on the internet is no different than publicly shaming homosexuals in real life.
- Threats on the internet is no different than threatening in real life.
- Putting rude labels on another on the internet is no different than putting rude labels on someone in school.
It doesn't matter if you know these people or not.
This person's ignorance and insane amount of stupidity is just disgusting, and I hope this person realizes how stupid of an article that was to make.
Interesting Article
http://waitsover.com/think-cyberbullying-isnt-real/
