Bullying In The Digital Age

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Bullying in The Digital Age According to the Pew study conducted in 2011, “88% of American teens have witnessed cruelty on social networks,” (qtd. in Dickey). Unfortunately, not every young adult who witnesses online bullying reports it or stands up to the bullies. Cyberbullying, “...affects victims differently from online bullying,” (qtd. In Dickey). Cyberbullying is different from in person bullying, not only does it become more personal but numerous amounts of people are able to view the bullying attack during any time of day. Online bullying will affect twenty-five percent of teens during some point in their life (Menza). As bullying incidents become more prominent in today’s society, parents and teachers should familiarize themselves …show more content…
Now, bullies are not only in the school hallways but also showing up on teens cell phone notification feeds. Even before the school bell rings, “...bullies are able to torment their targets on a whole new level,” (Crissman). Tormentors are now able to tap into their victim's personal life twenty-four seven. Teens are not able to avoid their bully since these alerts continue to pop up on the young adults cell phone screen. In addition the messages are distracting and the messages are hurtful. Not only is their bully attacking them after school but they frequently attack them during school hours. The internet creates a space where “instant personal feedback is possible at all hours of the day and night,” (Dickey). This demonstrates the scenario where victims are no longer able have a place to get away from their bully. Additionally, their attention is geared to their bully, which fuels the tormentor to continue writing and sending hurtful messages. Without the ability young adults had to escape their bully before the internet played a large part in bullying, teenagers begin to build up emotions that affect them …show more content…
Their education severely suffers because they are no longer focused on their academics but instead focused on what is happening online. In a study conducted by psychologists at University of California Los Angeles, established that the more a student was bullied the more unsatisfactory their grades were (Menza). A student's emotions often take over and leads to them to not focus on their school work. High school curriculum moves fairly quickly and a student who is not focussed can fall behind. One high schooler, Natalie Eng explains how difficult it can be to keep good grades while being bullied, “I was so anxious about encountering my bullies in the hallways that it was impossible to focus in class. My grades severely suffered,” (qtd. in Menza).When the teens bully is likely the person who sits next to them in math class, their attendance may decline in fear of facing their own cyberbully. The most simple and logical solution to a teenager who fears facing their bully in real life is to not attend school or skip classes. Not attending school causes high schoolers to fall behind in classes. Most parents and teachers believe that electronics are to blame for poor grades but that is not always the case. For Eng, the electronic device itself was not the problem, it was the perpetrator who was hiding behind an anonymous name was cyberbullying Eng. Parents should not jump to conclusions and accuse