Cyberbullying: The Dark Side of The Internet [ Lamisa Hossain (23301523) 15th August, 2023 ]

 Cyberbullying: The Dark Side of The Internet

Aug 10  |  Written By Lamisa Hossain

What is Cyber Bullying?

In this today’s modern world, we are dependent on technology for everything.  Every day we spend a long time online. Although technology has made our life easier in many ways, it has many drawbacks. One of them is ‘Cyber bullying’. Cyberbullying is threatening or harassing someone online. Cyberbullying includes sending explicit images, disclosing personal information, sharing harmful data about someone, using information unethically, hate speech, texting slang, humiliating someone, etc. Sometimes, extreme cases of cyberbullying can be classified as a criminal offense. Cyberbullying is considered one of the most severe forms of aggression. 

Main Target of Cyberbullying

Almost everyone experienced cyberbullying at least once. Teenagers and young people without a doubt are the main target of cyberbullying because they are most involved in the online world. Among them the most common target of cyberbullying is girls. 

Sexualizing females and sending them explicit pictures and messages are the most common type of online bullying. Many people use pictures of females online without permission to make fake IDs and impersonate them. Nowadays, making deep fake videos is one of the most repulsive trends of trolling people online. Moreover, using AI tools, vicious people make fake images that damage people's reputations.

   

My Experiences with Cyberbullying

I’ve been a victim of cyberbullying myself. In 2018, I started receiving unwanted text messages from an unknown person. When I refused to give them my personal information, they started threatening me and using slang. When I blocked their account, they created a new one and started texting me. It turns out the account was created by someone I know. A similar incident happened back in 2021 when I started getting random hate messages from an unknown ID. Additionally, receiving explicit pictures is one of the common instances of this sick practice. Moreover, many harassers constantly send messages in an effort to draw attention.

Another incident happened recently that affected me a lot. Someone edited my cousin sister’s pictures and uploaded them on Reddit. She was heartbroken when she found out. She is still experiencing anxiety and struggling with depression. She is even scared to go out and click any pictures.  Seeing her made me realize how these things can destroy us mentally. 

 Effects of Cyberbullying

When I first received the anonymous text messages, I freaked out. I was really scared because I had never used social media before and so these things were unknown to me. The once-safe online platform turned dark when an anonymous person tried to invade my online safe space. When I saw my sister struggling with her anxiety because of someone’s disgusting act, I became vulnerable and emotionally drained.

These distasteful things can affect us mentally as well as physically. Many people suffer from depression and anxiety. The constant barrage of hateful comments, derogatory messages, and hurtful speech can make anyone question their self-worth. As AI-generated pictures and videos seem very convincing the victim often suffers from social anxiety disorder or Anthropophobia. Cyberbullying heightens the level of stress and anxiety. It is not just an online issue; it can detrimentally affect our daily life because we feel isolated and judged.

How to deal with Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is a serious issue. It destroys the victim mentally. Although it feels overwhelming to talk about this, remaining silent is not going to solve the problem. Rather we should fight back and try to cope with this sick practice. We should try to heal ourselves from these traumas and work together to stop cyberbullying.

Some steps that can help us fight and recover from cyberbullying:

• We should be careful about sharing private and sensitive information on social media. Because many malicious people can use these against us.

• If we are being bullied online we should seek support by reaching out and opening up to our trusted family members. We can also take the help of counselors.

• Cyberbullying is a criminal offense in our country under Digital Security Act 2018. We should keep proof of cyberbullying and report the abuse to the respective social media platforms. In severe cases, we should seek help from authorities. Depending on the severity of the offense, the abuser is provided with a fine or even imprisonment.

• We should be careful about whom we want to keep on our social media platforms. It is best if we avoid unknown people on social media.

• Another important thing to remember is to not click on any suspicious links from an unknown person. Some of these links contain spyware, Trojans, and other malware.

• We should not talk to strangers online and share our addresses, pictures, or any personal information.

• For recovering from the trauma we can engage in fun activities to distract our mind and take a break from social media to focus on ourselves. We can spend time with our family, learn new things, and can focus on our hobbies. We should keep in mind that we are not alone in this.

Many notorious individuals hide their identities on social media and use anonymity to harm and bully others. In most cases, cyberbullies are unhappy and dissatisfied with their life. They seek satisfaction and want to feel powerful by hurting others. In other cases, people can also use anonymity to satisfy personal rage. The relevant authorities should try to track the cyberbullies and take necessary steps against them.  They should also work to secure cyberspace. Social media platform authorities should also take steps to protect the privacy of the users. Creating accounts on social media should also require other verifications.  To sum up, everyone should come forward to prevent cyberbullying and provide support to the victims.

About the author

Lamisa Hossain was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on November 17, 2004. She is currently a student of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) at Brac University. She completed her HSC (2022) and SSC (2020) from South Point School and College. In her leisure time, Lamisa enjoys playing guitar and painting. Reading books is her other favorite leisure activity.  She loves spending time with her family and friends.