Wednesday 28 March 2018

The Issues of Cyberbullying - Free Writing

Issues of Cyberbullying


Social Media plays an important part of our society/lives today. Teenagers and Pre-Teens are actively
interacting with social media sites regularly these days. Many people of these peer groups are
addicted to the image that they portray online, including how many likes or comments
they get on particular posts. While they try to, “perfect,” their social/digital image, they look at other
people’s posts and inside they may build up different insecurities. Some people who believe that
they have gone instagram/facebook/twitter famous, think that it is ok to comment on other people
images saying that they will never be like them, that they can never be as good and have as much skills
as others. This leads to a issue called, “Cyberbullying!”  3 of my perspectives based on this topic are…
1) Cyberbullying, possibly leads to a future of depression and/or anxiety
2) The youth suicide is raised every year mainly due to this issue.
3) Cyberbullying can also cause physical, emotional and mental stress/health issues
I strongly believe that cyberbullying laws in NZ should be enforced, so that whoever is
affected by this problem which has claimed many young teens/pre-teens lives, will be stopped.


You must be wondering what, “Cyberbullying,” is? So, what is cyberbullying? Cyberbullying is when
an electronic device is used to harm/bully/threaten while communicating online to intimidate their
chosen victims. Cyberbullying may lead to many different things. The major issue is anxiety/depression.
Alongside this comes, despair, feelings of solitude and segregation from daily activities. NZ Herald News
has recorded shown data that 30% of Kiwi Teens who have encountered cyberbullying has been lead to
suicidal thoughts and teens taking their lives to early. Personally, I believe that no parents should ever
have to bury their child. But, sadly, partly due to this problem, this has been happening throughout the
few past years. Anyways, globally, three million children have been found to be absent from school per
month because of fear of being bullied by peers. So… Cyberbullying is the use of an electronic device
to hurt someone inside and to put down others, thinking that you are the best and can do whatever comes
your way.


Secondly, I hate to say this, but New Zealand has the highest youth suicide rate in the world and it is
rocketing, from 564 suicides in 2014 to 579 in 2015 and now a startling 606 suicides in 2016/2017,
according to an article published by Tina Law on the 28th of August 2017. This is sadly the largest quantity
of deaths by suicide since the government started taking accurate records. 46% of all young women aged
17-19 reported high levels of cyberbullying. 37% said they had suicidal thoughts or they have self-harmed
themselves by making cut scars up along their wrists. Teenagers are constantly taunting other people about
the image they portray online/on social media. One resource shows that teenagers are repetitively posting
on other peoples pages about ‘how to commit suicide’ or they are saying ‘you should just go and 'kill yourself’
towards that particular victim. Although there are helplines out their available, many teens would argue
about them being useless. Instead of working through their problems they are facing, they think that taking
their life is a better way to get through it. Mainly, because of this topic.


Many people involved in cyberbullying also experienced physical, emotional and psychological stress.
When teenagers, young girls especially, are cyberbullied, they want to change their appearance.
This meaning they would do next to anything that will help change, whether it means not eating
for days consecutively to lose weight or some even wear piles of makeup to cover their real self.
An article titled “Bullied teens urged to commit suicide” published on the 12th March 2014 by Stuff -
News, which was written by Ben Heather, teenagers have been admitted into psychiatric care after being
urged to end their lives. Psychological stress is the worst type of stress that can happen to a victim.
Emotional stress for a young adolescent is when they are going through a state of mind which can cause
thoughts of rejection, denial, hatred and many others. This stress can cause isolation from family members
and close friends.


Cyberbullying has negative repercussions on society. Suicide rates will continue to escalate if nothing is
done to solve this. Cyberbullying is a problem that urgently needs a solution, Although laws are in place,
along with many people, I believe they should be enforced more harshly because of the consequences
that have happened. Nothing will change the effect that this has on our country and young person(s).
If their are no immediate changes, New Zealand could suffer the loss of many more teenagers.
Therefore, I strongly believe that the cyberbullying laws in New Zealand should be effectively enforced.


I haven’t written this just for fun, I have decided to write this because I don’t wanna see anymore teenagers
take their lives and be hurt inside due to cyberbullying. It is a huge issue and needs to be solved.
I hope that I have encouraged those out their who cyberbully people right now, to stop, because you
could be the reason why another teen takes their life. Don’t be that person, be someone to build them up
and stop this once and for all.

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