Cyberbullying on Social Media: A Key Ethical Issue Of Our Time

Although social media offers a great deal of advantages to society today, it also presents several large problems such as cyberbullying, harassment, deepfakes, etc. Among our youth today, though, cyberbullying is on the rise and wreaking havoc in the lives of those we have vowed to protect the most. Cyberbullying is being conducted on all major social media apps and is affecting the younger generation on a daily basis.

Source: The 74

Having been part of the younger generation when social media was on the rise, I have been very aware of the negative impact these platforms have on kids and teens. This ethical issue needs to be resolved quickly and swiftly, as it is claiming the minds and even lives of youth around the world on a daily basis. There are countless stories of teens who have taken their own lives because of their experience on social media. Just a few months ago, a 14-year-old took her own life after a video of her being attacked in her school hallway was posted to social media. This is just one real life example of this ethical issue.

According to the Pew Research Center, nearly half of US teens have been bullied or harassed online. Furthermore, research shows that physical appearance is one of the biggest reasons why youth and teens are bullied on social media. About 15% of youth on social media who have been harassed have had a stranger ask them for their location, interests and more. This is a truly terrifying reality.

Because cyberbullying on social media has been on the rise in recent years, some say physicians should begin to screen their younger patients to see if their social media use has led to cyberbullying or harassment. A recent study by Florida Atlantic University revealed that people’s lack of ability to monitor and moderate social media content and engagement for youth has significantly worsened the youth mental health crisis our nation is facing today.

One key phrase that is consistently used when talking about cyberbullying on social media is “body image”. A large portion of social media cyberbullying has to do with how kids and teens physically look in comparison to their peers. This has become such an imminent issue that the Surgeon General had to issue an advisory on the impact social media is having on body image and mental health.

Case Study: Stop Bullying.gov

Started in 2010, StopBullying.gov provides information from various government agencies on what bullying is, what cyberbullying is, who is at risk, and how you can prevent and respond to bullying. StopBullying.gov coordinates closely with the Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention Steering Committee, an interagency effort co-led by the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services that works to coordinate policy, research, and communications on bullying topics. The organization hopes that people will share their content and join in on efforts to stop bullying on social media and in the real world.

On social media, the organization empowers kids, teens and adults to stop bullying and cultivate bullying-free environments. One of the organization’s recent posts explains how respect helps prevent bullying. This is just one example of how they positively impact communities and people. They also include information at the link in their bio to further educate individuals who visit their Instagram.

Source: Instagram

All of the organization’s posts on Instagram promote anti-bullying education in different ways. All of their content comes from their website which features a wide array of resources for kids, teens, parents, etc. A lot of their content also talks about cyberbullying and steps to be taken to stop it. StopBullying.gov is a great source of information and is surely positively impacting the world.

Three Best Ethical Practices

In order to begin to stop cyberbullying on social media, there are three steps that can be taken to immediately begin making a positive impact.

1. Parents can monitor and intervene when kids and teens are engaging in social media cyberbullying. The most ethical thing to do as parents is ensure that kids and teens are not being bullies on social media and degrading others. There are also apps that can be used to track social media usage and stop cyberbullying.

2. If you see something, say something. If kids and teens became used to reporting cyberbullying on social media, both to the app and responsible adults, this issue could become less and less common.

3. As a parent, educator or guardian, educate kids and teens on the importance of not engaging in cyberbullying. If schools and other adults began emphasizing the negative impact of cyberbullying on social media more, then this ethical issue could be stopped.

Ultimately, cyberbullying is a very pertinent ethical issue on social media that needs to be stopped, as it is leaving a long-lasting negative impact on kids and teens across the world.