In the age of social media and text messaging, bullying has changed its face to one of anonymity. Victims no longer have the ability to even know who is behind it. It also spreads easier when others can “jump on the bandwagon” without worrying about getting caught.
But cyber bullying has consequences to our society as a whole. Bullying tears down the victim’s self esteem and leaves them vulnerable to depression and self-destruction. Too many families have been destroyed by the damage cyber bullying has caused, including the tragic suicide of those victims. That in turn causes the ripple effect of guilt and depression of family members and friends who fall into believing they should have been able to see and prevent the tragedy. That makes them question their own self worth, spreading like a community cancer that could have been prevented.
Cyber bullying does not just happen to our children on the internet, but to adults as well, and damages their productiveness in our society. Anger and depression that result from being cyber bullied can put people at risk for alcohol and drug addiction. This can lead to job losses, making them sink deeper into a hole they see no way out of.
So before you click send on cancerous words, pause and ask yourself how you would feel if someone you loved were to receive that kind of statement. It may help you decide to press the delete button instead.