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Journalism of Courage
A student of Class VIII visited me in the OPD accompanied by parents. The teen had stopped socialising, conversing and getting out of the house. Worse, the young student stopped going to school, a space that teens feel validated in a peer group, for three weeks, following an incident of cyberbullying. Somebody made a fake profile using the teen’s details, morphed pictures and posted them. Life was hijacked in a moment as rumours about the student’s behavioural habits began to surface. Classmates ignored my patient in class while others continued to send mean, hurtful messages. Unfortunately, the student and parents were in the dark as to who had created the profile. Even after the authorities had closed the profile, screenshots still circulated. Something that seemed straight out of a science fiction novel two decades ago is a reality that we, children mostly, are grappling with today.
Even as conventional forms of bullying, most often associated with school corridors and playgrounds, continue to haunt children, it has taken a more insidious form of cyberbullying. What makes cyberbullying even more damaging is that students carry around the bully in their pockets 24×7, even in what was previously the safety of their homes. Information that is once floated online can never truly be removed, always leaving behind its traces. And worst of all, the creator pranking the subject is anonymous and faceless.
According to UNICEF, cyberbullying involves “repeated behaviour, aimed at scaring, angering or shaming those who are targeted. Examples include:
(1) Spreading lies about or posting embarrassing photos or videos of someone on social media.
(2) Sending hurtful, abusive or threatening messages, images or videos via messaging platforms.
(3) Impersonating someone and sending mean messages to others on their behalf or through fake accounts.”
Bullying is something we’ve taken for granted as an unavoidable part of growing up. What we don’t give enough importance to is the fact the impact of bullying is pervasive, and often lifelong. It can impact a student’s physical health, lead to social withdrawal, lower self-esteem, affect academic performance and instill feelings of anxiety. In fact, bullying has been identified as the leading risk factor for mental health problems.
Tackling the menace of cyberbullying requires all of us to play a part. If you are being bullied online, remember that it’s not your fault and not something to be ashamed about. Do your best to talk about it with your family, friends or school authorities. It’s also important to report such instances so that offenders can be caught and such behaviours are not repeated. It may also be helpful to reach out to a mental health professional to work through the impact of such experiences. However, bullying doesn’t just impact the victim, and it’s not the victim’s responsibility alone to act.
The bystanders, whether online or offline, play a significant role as well. If you witness someone being bullied online, don’t just stand by. Stand up against it. Think before believing rumours and more importantly, pause before forwarding any messages. Recognise the impact that a push of a button may have on another person’s life. Given the prevalence of social media and the proliferation of various forms of apps, it’s also important for schools to have regular training on both cyber safety as well as media literacy. Students need to be aware of how to protect their privacy online, learn to read the fine print of the apps they use and where and how to report incidents of cyber bullying.
Social media companies, too, have a responsibility to protect the well-being of children, to understand the impact that the reach as well as anonymity often afforded by these platforms can have on our social fabric. Most of all, society has a collective responsibility. There’s a lot of good that can come from social media – it can help us connect with friends, spark innovative thinking, and spread ideas worth promoting. Let’s not turn it into a space of negativity, trolling and bullying. Let’s be mindful of the impact our actions on social media can have on others. Let’s drown trolling with positivity. Let’s pause before we hit send. Let’s say “no” to all forms of bullying.
