https://telecoms.com/503401/social-media-censorship-in-the-time-of-coronavirus/ write 500 words properly sited probe on this information, the document attached below is to show what format it should b

Topic Introduction

Cyberbullying is a form of bullying that occurs on an online presence such as social media. Online communications have allowed and increased cyberbullying due to the impersonal nature of the platform. Children’s minds are very fragile since they still learning and don’t understand or fully grasp how cyberbullying can affect them or others. Thus, it is very crucial to discuss this topic and social media platforms need to take more responsibility and actions on cyberbullying.

Why did you select this particular object? What makes it important?

Cyberbullying is very relatable to many individuals because it is an on-going issue. Individuals do not understand that bullying can cause emotional and mental trauma by lowering their self-esteem and making them feel worthless. This topic is important to me because many individuals do not realize the severity and long-lasting effects that cyberbullying can have. Thus, it can affect the way someone communicates with others which may lead to internal psychological issues.

How does it relate to the assigned readings?

The assigned readings discuss how Cyberbullying impacts young children. As many children have access to numerous social media sites can instigate cyberbullying to occur. In the first reading So states that “bull[ies] can conceal their identity online and target their victims” by hurtful things without facing the repercussions or hide their identity by being anonymous (So, 2019). This absence of reporting this behavior causes victims to be afraid to “make the situation worse or lead to the confiscation of their electronic devices” (So, 2019). The first probe article by Brigette Watson discusses how Carson Crimeni was bullied and died due to an overdose that was broadcast all over the internet for “entertainment” (Watson, 2020). Older teenagers filmed this incident and posted it on social media. The video shows how he was slowing dying because of the drugs he had taken from his “friends”. In a real-life scenario such as this, his friends could have called 911 and potentially saved his life but they threw him in a ditch. Bystanders in cyberbullying are less likely to help because of the theory of “diffusion of responsibility” So, 2019). This theory stops others from helping and creates fear of a higher number of physical and virtual bystanders watching.

The second assigned article by Peter Macaulay discusses how children are bullied in real-life and online. So states over the last two year the consumption of digital technology increased by 11.5% to 15.3%. Additionally in the article, Racheal Whalen who was a victim of cyberbullying reminisces about being bullied in high school (Macaulay,2020). Moreover, this left a psychological impact on her life where she contemplated committing suicide but thankfully received help in time. In my second probe article, Tyler Clementi was being bullied for being gay but unfortunately, he did commit suicide. Jane Clementi who is Tyler’s mother wants the state to encourage anti-transgender rights to protect L.G.B.T.Q children from being bullied (Gupta, 2020). Furthermore, social media platforms are such as Instagram are beginning to implement “artificial intelligence to try to stop abuse [where] users typing a potentially offensive comment …[will] reads: “Are you sure you want to post this?” (Macaulay, 2020). Developing this feature can prevent hurtful comments from posting and cyberbullying to occur.

How does your probe provoke your thinking? What questions does it raise for you about social media and communication? How has the exercise helped change your thinking about social media and communication?

This is one issue I’ve been aware of for many years and it is disturbing to know how many young children are being bullied on online social media platforms. I believe we as individuals need to be more aware if someone is being bullied online and prevent this from happening further. This exercise has taught me that individuals and social media platforms do not take cyberbullying seriously and there needs to be a better way to create a healthy environment for children on the internet.

Questions

How can we help children/teenagers feel more comfortable talking about cyberbullying to us?

How can we implement a plan that will create a safe environment for children/teenagers to use digital technology?

If there is punishment for face-to-face bullying, why do you think cyberbullying is different and goes unnoticed?

References

Gupta, V. (2020, March 22). I Lost My Son. Support L.G.B.T.Q. Youth. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/22/opinion/letters/transgender-lgbtq.html.

Ho, S. (2019, July 26). Cyberbullying on the rise with girls 3 times more likely to be harassed. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/cyberbullying-on-the-rise-with-girls-3-times-more-likely-to-be-harassed.

Macaulay Lecturer in Social Psychology and Individual Differences, P. (2020, February 24). We don't know the true extent of cyberbullying -- and children need help in dealing with it. https://theconversation.com/we-dont-know-the-true-extent-of-cyberbullying-and-children-need-help-in-dealing-with-it-131614.

Watson, B. (2020, February 27). 'They killed him for entertainment': Carson Crimeni's grandfather speaks out against bullying | CBC News. Retrieved July 01, 2020, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/darrel-crimeni-bullying-awareness-1.5477247.