There’s no running away from the fact that life was very different before the advent of social media. Earlier, social media was acknowledged as a way of connecting with loved ones.
However, now, it has much more than what we imagine. However, there are tons of reasons to keep social media posts private. The worrisome factor is that all of us have stalkers and people who are frequently hunting us online.
After all, nobody wants to have a stranger bothering them all the time online. However, when things go out of hand in case of threats, negative comments, abuse, and trolling, it's called “cyberbullying”.
Social media is the primary source wherein cyberbullying is at its highest. Thus, staying safe on social media has become a common concern amongst the masses.
How does Social Media Contribute to Cyberbullying?
According to recent research, around 4 billion people are active users of social media. And the number is still counting since social media has become a global rage. It has become more than a connecting point for friends and family. People try to reflect their personalities with the use of social media.
However, too much sharing online weighs repercussions. After all, you won't always have well-wishers on this platform. Here are a few ways social media leads to cyberbullying:
Posting Information About Achievements
No wonder all of us are surrounded by negative people always trying to bring us down. So whenever a person posts about their achievement on social media, it doesn’t make everyone happy. This is when people start receiving negative comments.
Posting Information About Eating Well or Flaunting Your Wealth
This is another major issue that people find themselves in. This is too much sharing of your everyday life on social media. Since social media is for everyone, everybody has access to certain posts. This eventually gives birth to jealousy and hatred for the privileged. Thus, when people start posting photos of their jewellery, cars, wealth, phones, and dining out in expensive places, it doesn’t go well with the less fortunate. Thus, hate speech gets born.
Mentioning Friends and Family in Posts
Cyberbullying also comes in the form of threats. Many people complain about receiving threats on behalf of their loved ones. When people tag their friends and relatives in pictures, they’re vulnerable to receiving threats from cyber criminals. The threat could be life-threatening or even a ransom demand. And since people end up sharing the location of the travel destination, it's not hard for scammers to reach out to them.
According to recent research, there has been a spark in the cyberbullying cases in Israel. Experts have revealed that Israeli students are more depressed about being harassed online than American students. In fact, most high school students complain about being mentally assaulted online. There have been many cases of youngsters even committing suicide after being assaulted online.
Conclusion:
One of the easiest ways to avoid social media cyberbullying is to talk about it. Seldom will you find a person who hasn’t ever been abused on social media. Since it has become a common spot for millions globally to come together, every person might experience negativity. Therefore, the victims should be vocal about their experiences. After all, taking legal action is the only way to restrain the criminals. Plus, it's best to avoid oversharing on social media. In reality, it’s a delusion and not a true reflection of one’s personality.