By: Ayyan Shaikh
Recently, you might have seen people talking about cyberbullying on their social media platform, and it is about time we address this social issue. Cyberbullying is a form of cybercrime (actually punishable by law), and it is so normalized and deep-rooted among the youth these days that at this point, talking about it is considered a taboo. Those who do stand up against this are considered weird, ‘unable to take a joke’ and ‘too sensitive’. But how exactly does this affect the youth?
Before I dive into the answer to this question, let me summarize exactly why people around us have started addressing this issue properly these days. It started with a girl posting on Instagram about her younger brother who is autistic, who was being cyberbullied by his so-called "friends" The sister of the young teen found him crying and upon investigating for the reason behind her brother’s condition, found out that he was added to a group chat where he was constantly being harassed. Her brother, who is currently 14-years old was being subjected to sexual jokes which, for any age, were very inappropriate. It was clear that such jokes were not being considered funny by the young teen and as if that wasn’t enough, he was also being encouraged to commit suicide by the people in the group chat. Furthermore, they sent him derogatory comments after they found out the boy had confided in his sister. In a society that is just starting to acknowledge mental health issues as real, victim shaming discourages the conversation around it, and exposed the bullies as the degenerates they are, The boy did not retaliate, and had done nothing to deserve this. He only wanted to make friends.
While some people may argue that at the age of 14, sexual jokes are common among the youth, but if it’s clear that such jokes are not appreciated by the other party, why continue with them? The worst part of this all was them giving suggestions to the 14-year old about different ways to commit suicide and which one will be the most effective. I know edgy humor is very trendy these days, but encouraging someone to commit suicide and making jokes about it is not acceptable humor, and if you do that, then Congratulations!! You’re a bully. While almost everyone stood against this cybercrime, after the sister used her platform to speak up about the issue, some friends of the bullies still chose to undermine cyberbullying as a social issue and reduced the whole thing to a joke. They posted stories on their Instagram accounts in support of their bully friends, claiming that it was just a joke, and the boy shouldn't be so 'sensitive'. It is appalling how some of the educated and privileged youth still refuse to recognize cyberbullying as an issue prevalent in our society, and this is exactly why it is so hard to speak against this.
This brings us to the question, how does cyberbullying affect the youth? Cyberbullying, like other forms of bullying, often leads to long-lasting problems. It may result in mental health issues and can worsen already existing mental illnesses. Depression, anxiety, being unable to express yourself properly, anger, and other mood swings can be the outcome of bullying. Furthermore, a victim may turn towards isolation and refuse to share their burden for the fear of being judged as well. All of these effects can negatively impact the victim, and their ability to perform in everyday life.
While it is heartening to see that we have started talking about this topic, and reprimanding those who engage in such activities on social media, it is time we take this a step further and consider it a real issue people face in real life and properly stand up for what is right. It is time we consider others’ feelings when making a joke, especially if we are not close friends. It is time we stop blaming the victim, and hold the bullies accountable. Most of all, it is time for us to open our eyes and acknowledge all these issues surrounding us because if we won’t do it, then who will?
(Image from here.)
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