How Media Affects Cyber Bullying - Coursework Example

Insert Media and Cyber-Bullying How Media affects Cyber Bullying Cyber bullying is the use of technology that use of phones or computers to harass continually or harm other people. It might be through posting rumors about an individual on the internet and might result to hatred. Cyber-bullying takes place on social media sites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. A large number of the youths between the age of 14- 25, are online they spend more time on social media than any single another activity. Despite the advantages and the passion that people have on social media, there are many risks attached to it, and cyber bullying being one of the larger risks. Many children were humiliated, harassed and threatened during the past few years while over teens using social media have witnessed cruelty. In addition, they say they have ignored the unbecoming behavior on social media. Cyber bullies can disclose individual personal data at websites they can even go to the extent of impersonating, creating of accounts that are not real. Using them to post humiliating emails and messages to others or event for posting material in their name that degrades or ridicules them. These make cyber bully anonymous in the sense that, it is difficult for the people miss using the internet to be caught and be brought to justice because of their unbecoming behavior (Stewart 82). Nonetheless, messages and emails among friends can also be another form of cyber bullying. That is when the content of the message sent is hurtful to the other party. The recent cyber-bullying and illegal activity was posted on Facebook involved a page for the young boys who lost their dear lives to suicide because of anti-gay bullying act. The bullying was so rampant to the extent that they were seen as an outcast in the society, and nobody will feel comfortable with them around the incitement from the internet lead to the murder of the two boys. The page turned into a virtual grave and ground for condoning gay teen suicide and the killing of homosexuals. Photos of executed victims were published not only were the photos posted, but also included thousands of comments terming the action to be positive (Wheeler 182). Furthermore, the page continually showed pornography to minors. Cyber bullying can even be experienced in an individual profession and it might be used to humiliate somebody in whatever he does for instance, in the case of Climate scientists and climate activists, they may be faced with abusive emails from any part of the world. These emails can be public responses to statements that report the findings of climate science and their impacts on future production of greenhouse gases by humans and for the survival of generations to come. Such emails may be sent in line to contribution posted on websites, which are likely to engage in cyber-bullying. They may also be confronted with opposing web reports that tend to destroy their reputations. Mobile applications more so of smartphones have yielded to a more accessible form of bullying that is through quick access to the internet and posting comments. Bullying through these platforms is expected to be of greater extent than other more stationary internet properties. Furthermore, cameras, Internet access, and the availability of these modern smartphone, technologies turns to another type of cyber bullying not found in other grounds (Hinduja 204). Cyber-bullying can simply be a text messages harassing somebody who has declared not wanting to keep contact with another person. Public actions may also be included, things such as threats, sexual remarks, making an individual the subject of ridicule in online discussions. Additionally, it could be hacking into sites about an individual, and posting incorrect statements as fact aiming to humiliate targeted person (Sljone 155). Cyber bullying could be minimized to posting rumors concerning an individual on the internet with the aim of creating hatred in others mind. Comparison of cyber bullying and traditional bullying Online technologies have resulted into inherent characteristics increasing occurrence of exploitation pegged on divergent resolutions. Electronic bullies are dissimilar to physical bullying in that it can be virtually anonymous using provisional email accounts in chat rooms and instant messaging program (Lane 1797). Moreover, cell phone text messaging including other internet sites that can cover their identity, will free them from normative and social force on their behavior. Electronic environments and scenes sometimes lack control and guidance. In some chat rooms, chat hosts frequently monitor the discussion with a determination to police dialog in order to remove individuals who have committed an offence. Messages that are personal sent amongst users, who are viewable to senders and the recipients, thus cannot be reached outside the regulatory of such authorities. When teenagers are more knowledgeable than their parents and guardians about computers and cellular phones, they will be able to operate and run technologies without the consent of their parent. However, with time a parent will find out their knowledge with bullying (Lane 1799). Mobile phones cannot be separated from its vendor is an issue that makes that person a perpetual aim for oppression. The owners of mobile phones need frequently to keep their phones turned on for legitimate reasons. It can be to enable those with hateful and malicious targets to participate in unwanted behavior. It might include responding with cruelty to telephone calls or to pass on statements that threaten and insults the recipient via the mobile phone’s text messaging capabilities (Sljone 149). Bonds between families and many homes have been destroyed by criticism via the internet, a place that was traditionally a refuge for victims from other forms of criticism. The uniqueness of compounding this infiltration into the home life of the cyber-bully or criticism through the internet, victim has created a way in which the internet can create concurrent atmospheres of exposure and hostilities. This outcome is dangerous to youth who experience shame or self-hatred, because it can result to risky self-isolation. For victims of Cyber bullying has an advantage for victims over traditional bullying since one can at times manage to evade the site/ chat room in question. Most e-mail accounts now compromise services that will filter out messages from individual phone owners before they even reach the recipient’s inbox, and phones offer similar caller ID functions in an automatic way. Attitudes and values of media on cyber-bullying The various social media platforms have had a take on cyber-bullying incidences though not enough to warrant doing away with cyber-bullying. They have privacy policies that are not well implemented because of the complexity of implementing. On the other hand, the media platforms have not done much in the combat of the vice. The menace has led to some countries banning such sites as Facebook in their countries (Cowie 268). Communities and independent organizations have spearheaded campaigns against bullying both online and physically through campaigns. The campaigns majorly focus on educating the public and make them their guardians. They use messages such as “be responsible” to reach out and avoid harassment that occurs from careless chats, comment and posts on the media platform. An important milestone that has been achieved by social media platform is the use of Admin function on pages and groups. They are people who are in control of the content that is displayed in a group’s wall. Their functionalities as supported by their platform mandate them to delete abusive comments or whatever they fell is not comfortable and amount to spread of hatred (Hinduja 213). The features enable a micromanagement of bullying but do not work better on a large-scale platform with many community members. Governments are coming up with regulations concerning the use and activities within the media, but have not been handled well. The sole mandate of the policies is to safeguard its citizens from harm. In addition, encouraging good values among community member by restricting use of nude images or pornographic videos help improve people’s perception on good morals. They promote good morals as an individual choice, which results in good while bad choices result in harassment of oneself through revenge or harm of others (Stewart 80). Social media are awash with harassment; the media attitude and values now are headed in the right direction but are not yet there. The media strategies developed by companies with online presence need streamlining to sense and combat emergence and spread of crime. Social platform was designed for the good of human beings and as such should be safeguarded for people’s good to avoid damage. Works cited Cowie, H., & Collier, P. "Cyberbullying: sanctions or sensitivity?" Pastoral Care In Education 28.4 (2010): 261-268. Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. "Bullying, Cyberbullying, and Suicide." Archives of Suicide Research 14.3 (2010): 206-221. Lane, D. K. "Taking the Lead on Cyberbullying: Why Schools Can and Should Protect Students Online." Iowa Law Review 96.5 (2011): 1791-1811. Sljone, R Smith & Smith P.K. "Cyberbullying: Another main type of bullying?." Scandinavian Journal of Psychology (2008): 147-154. Stewart, D. M., & Fritsch, E. J. "School and Law Enforcement Efforts to Combat Cyberbullying." Preventing School Failure 55.2 (2011): 79-87. Wheeler, T.. "Facebook Fatalities: Students, Social Networking, and the First Amendment." Pace Law Review (2011): 182-227. Read More