Technology has started to become a valued source in the United States, but due to its rapid advancement many problems have begun to arise as well. Inflicting most teens, technology is not only being used for the goodness of its own source, but it is now being taken advantage of in a harsh and inappropriate manner. Cyber bullying is happening all over the nation primarily affecting young people, leading to severe emotional consequences. It is a growing epidemic that needs to be stopped now before matters become much worse and the best method to stop the spread is to spread awareness. Over the years, bullying on the web has been becoming popular and well known throughout the United States.
Some people who flash their opinions on the web cause an act of cyber bullying when they least expect it. Cyber bulling occurs when someone is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed, or otherwise targeted by another person or group of people, using the internet, or interactive digital technologies. Cyber bullying is basically bullying that is done through some means of technology and its effects are just as, or even worse than that of traditional bullying. Cyber bullying is an increasing problem that is sweeping nations. There are different methods to cyber bullying, one where the bully is power-hungry.
This bully just wants to take control and make other people fear them. They just want to come off to their victims as intimidating and powerful. The next bully is the revenge of the nerd. This bully has been bullied in-person, so they use the internet to intimidate others. Since they have an immense amount of technical skills, they can often be the most dangerous.
The most stereotyped and well known cyber bully is the mean girls. This is a bunch of girls that usually bully other females for power and to be the center of attention. This bullying is mostly done for entertainment and is done in groups or “cliques.” It is a large ego-based type of bullying and known to the most immature. The last type is the vengeful angel. This bully is usually the friend of the actual victim. As a friend, they will try and protect their friend, at the same time, they become the bully themselves.
These are the most common, different types of cyberbullies. Since cyber bullying is a form of harassment, it must be taken just as serious as it’s traumatizing consequences. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry explains that, “Children and adolescents who bully thrive on controlling or dominating others. They have often been the victims of physical abuse or bullying themselves.
Those who find themselves bullying others contain aggression that needs to be channeled the right way. Bullies bully others because of jealousy, hatred towards other friends or family members, or maybe just to look cool in front of their friends. Effect of cyber bullying on body image Our body image is formed as we receive and internalize messages about our bodies from those in our external world. It also involves the messages we receive about what is considered desirable or not acceptable about the body.
Body image doesn’t just happen. It’s a complex phenomenon influenced by many factors, including parents, peers, and social contexts. But we know that media messages play a powerful role in shaping gender norms and body satisfaction. It is within the family that we gain our understanding of what it means to be a person in this world.
It is here that our understanding of social expectation is also developed. That subjective picture of one’s body image is imprinted very early in lives by these external factors. Did someone make an off-hand remark that impacted how you see yourself? Growing up, I had brunette friend who constantly overheard her older blonde sister being praised as the “pretty one”. This off-hand remark made by a relative impacted her life enormously.
She started to question her own looks and assumed that they did not measure up. She spent a good portion of her life believing that she was not pretty, even though she was quite a beautiful woman. From a family definition she learned that being pretty, meant blonde. She did not possess this characteristic, so she stood outside the definition of pretty.
The influences of families, society and media on the construction of body image are plentiful but also controversial. We are bombarded with more media messages now than before. We generally see fit, yet curvaceous women and fit men. The question is…do these images influence what we think of as good and desirable? But the issue is that the average body seen in those media images represent a generally unattainable form of the human body thus putting undue stress on individual who lack self-esteem. Not too long ago, girls might have stressed about being “bikini-ready” every spring when the bathing suit magazines would hit the stands. And boys might have done a few extra pushups after seeing Wolverine’s abs.
But now, thanks to photo-centric social media like Instagram, Snapchat and other messaging apps, kids are exposed to a constant drumbeat of bikini bodies, six-pack abs, and just-right hair 24/7. Social media can be toxic for body image. It is highly visual and interactive, and appearance is central to success. Collecting “likes” and followers provides an immediate marker of achievement and popularity. These feed directly into users’ sense of self-worth.
Many of these moments and comments are captured seemingly unplanned, increasing anxiety about looking “perfect”. The interactive and sometimes anonymous nature of social media make feedback instant and unfiltered resulting in negative feedback and criticism. This creates greater pressure on appearance and competition to outdo one’s peers.
