Recently, several students from John I. Burton were involved in a dispute on Twitter with rival students from Central. The argument began after two social media accounts were developed on Twitter, following a competitive basketball game. The first account developed dubbed the Warriors: "Walmart Warriors." In response, a second account was created which contained discriminatory language targeted at Burton students. Although both accounts were removed by Twitter not long after their creation, these accounts fueled a dispute between students. Union High School stepped in and sided with the Raiders against the Warriors. On February 1, 2014 the Union Bears took on the Central Warriors. JIB joined forces with Union and a huge student section was formed in reaction to the racial slur on the Twitter account. Did this conflict result from cyberbullying? The clearest answer is: yes. Some people may have found these events amusing, but this situation was in fact a perfect example of what we should try to avoid.
According to a recent survey held by the students here at Burton Press, 45 percent of JIB students spend two to four hours a day online. In a week’s time, this adds up to 14 hours or more. Some students even indicated that they spend more than six hours a day online. In this day in time young adults feel it is essential to be connected at all times. I, for one, could not imagine starting my day without checking my Twitter account first. Cyberbullying is a word we hear often, but most of us wish to turn a blind eye to the possibility of such activity occurring at our close knit community. Unfortunately, it happens more often then we would like to believe. Even here, in John I. Burton, we are affected by those who choose to bully others on social media sites. What can we do to stop it? First, we must understand what cyberbullying is and the affects it can have on individuals.
According to Merriam-Webster, cyberbullying is “the electronic posting of mean-spirited messages about a person often done anonymously.” However, in recent years, cyberbullying has become less anonymous. Through Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter cyberbullyies are posting commentary without protecting their identities. As such, cyberbullies are often attacking people they interact with in every day life. Posts are usually open to the public and are often saved, shared, and circulated many times. In a survey held by Burton Press, a staggering 63 percent of John I. Burton students who took the survey said that they had witnessed someone being personally victimized on social media.
According to Burton Press's survey, 55 percent of our students admitted to seeing a "fight" on social media and a startling 60 percent of our students interviewed said they had ignored cyberbullying. So, how do we stop cyberbullying? The most important first step is to REPORT IT. Reporting a harmful post to a social media website can get the post removed and the person's account suspended. Secondly, it is best to tell a trusted adult about the events that have taken place. Sitting back and letting cyberbullying occur is not a solution. If you or someone you know is being cyberbullied, take these steps to help bring cyberbullying to an end.
According to a recent survey held by the students here at Burton Press, 45 percent of JIB students spend two to four hours a day online. In a week’s time, this adds up to 14 hours or more. Some students even indicated that they spend more than six hours a day online. In this day in time young adults feel it is essential to be connected at all times. I, for one, could not imagine starting my day without checking my Twitter account first. Cyberbullying is a word we hear often, but most of us wish to turn a blind eye to the possibility of such activity occurring at our close knit community. Unfortunately, it happens more often then we would like to believe. Even here, in John I. Burton, we are affected by those who choose to bully others on social media sites. What can we do to stop it? First, we must understand what cyberbullying is and the affects it can have on individuals.
According to Merriam-Webster, cyberbullying is “the electronic posting of mean-spirited messages about a person often done anonymously.” However, in recent years, cyberbullying has become less anonymous. Through Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter cyberbullyies are posting commentary without protecting their identities. As such, cyberbullies are often attacking people they interact with in every day life. Posts are usually open to the public and are often saved, shared, and circulated many times. In a survey held by Burton Press, a staggering 63 percent of John I. Burton students who took the survey said that they had witnessed someone being personally victimized on social media.
In a world where communication takes place at the swipe of an index finger, it is easy for cyberbullying to result in emotional damage. Cyberbullying causes many problems in schools and even in today's society at large. Suicide is sadly a main result of cyberbullying. According to Bullyingstatistics.org, nearly 4,400 deaths occur a year because of cyberbullying. A scary 14 percent of high schools students have considered or attempted suicide as a direct result of cyberbullying and 30 percent of students have admitted to being bullied online or bullying someone else online. Suicide is never the answer. EVER. If cyberbullying is affecting you, it is best to seek help from a trusted adult.
What does cyberbullying consist of? Could you be bullying someone online and not realize it?Some examples are of cyberbullying are: sending mean messages or threats to a person via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc., spreading rumors online or through texts, posting hurtful or threatening messages on social networking sites, stealing a person's account information, pretending to be someone else online to hurt another person, taking unflattering pictures of a person and posting them on social media sites, sexting, or circulating sexually suggestive pictures or messages about a person. According to Burton Press's survey, 55 percent of our students admitted to seeing a "fight" on social media and a startling 60 percent of our students interviewed said they had ignored cyberbullying. So, how do we stop cyberbullying? The most important first step is to REPORT IT. Reporting a harmful post to a social media website can get the post removed and the person's account suspended. Secondly, it is best to tell a trusted adult about the events that have taken place. Sitting back and letting cyberbullying occur is not a solution. If you or someone you know is being cyberbullied, take these steps to help bring cyberbullying to an end.
Co-written by: Kierstien Stanley and Olivia Lowery