Teens are using the internet on an increasing basis and it is becoming more difficult for parents to safely monitor teen activity. There are many items to be on guard for when it comes to web activity and with mobile technology; which is becoming increasingly popular among the younger generations; it is difficult for parents to realize when their child is online. Between smart phones, iPods, iPads, netbooks, laptops, desktops, Wi-Fi with open hotspots, school computers, cybercafés, etc… teens have a variety of methods and locations to get online and keeping up with things can be another full time job. A recurring; and harmful; theme with all this access to the internet is with cyber-bullying. Cyber-bullying was seen as early as 2008 and there have been various studies on the topic.
One definitive difference between cyber-bullying and traditional bullying deals with the personal involvement of those involved. No longer does a bully need to be physically present to affect their target. Instead the aggressor can simply can sit back on the couch and watch TV while posting derogatory comments. This level of insensitivity is one of the most harming traits with cyber-bullying. The bully is less likely to realize they have done harm because they are not there to witness any of the reactions the other individual has.
Another harmful affect with cyber-bullying, which also stems from its lack of physical interaction, is with the emotional trauma the victim feels. Since there is not any psychical contact there is very little outside evidence to be seen by parents. Instead, the harm is almost all emotional and teens react in a variety of ways when dealing with that type of emotional difficulty. As a result, a large portion of teens that have been involved with cyber-bullying show signs of depression. Knowing the signs of teen depression is a good start in helping to identify problems with teens because of this.
Unfortunately, cyber-bullying is difficult to monitor, difficult to control and it is extremely difficult to know when it is occurring. One advice to help with this problem, according to Research Fellow Arne Olav Nygard, is to have parents “engage in, observe and learn the logic of the digital world.” Nygard believes that in doing this; parents will be more involved with their teen’s digital life and more likely to identify cases of cyber-bullying.
{ 1 trackback }