Watch the news on any given day and you will see story after story that is filled with bad news, hatred and acts of violence. This seems to be a reflection of the way society is headed. So is society to blame for cyberbullying and the increase in this behaviour over the years? Today, people seem to be eager to blame someone for the problems they experience in life. While sometimes there is no way to tell where the blame lies, it can be useful to explore the possibilities to understand a problem better and learn how to best handle it to prevent it in the future. Examining the societal impacts of cyberbullying is important for learning to stop it. Learn more about Cyberbullying Effects on Society Now!

Cyberbullying Effects on Society: Less Parental Supervision

It has been shown that children who are under less adult supervision are more likely to partake in the act of cyberbullying. Parents who are able to keep an eye on what their children are doing at any given time, especially when it comes to their Internet activity, are more likely to identify when their child is taking part in cyberbullying or when he is falling victim to it. In today’s society, many families require both parents to work, leaving many children home without adult supervision. There is also a larger number of single parent homes, again resulting in less supervision for children. These situations have proven to contribute to the act of cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying Effects on Society: Living Conditions

Many children and teenagers live in broken homes of one kind or another. While some of these children are the product of divorced homes where there is a conflict between the parents or even the absence of one parent, there are other children who live in hostile households, experience or witness abuse in the home or there is drug or alcohol use by a parent or sibling. All these poor living conditions can lead a child to turn to a cyberbully as a method to feel better about themselves and their living conditions.

Cyberbullying Effects on Society: Reality TV Shows

With the influx of reality TV shows on many networks, children are being exposed to behaviours that were hidden from them in the past. When you watch many of these reality shows, they seem to glorify the poor treatment of other people, including people you simply don’t like or those who are viewed as “below you.” Children are still impressionable and are more likely to copy the behaviours they see in these TV shows. However, reality shows aren’t the only ones to blame for portraying this type of behaviour in an almost positive light. Many other TV shows also include elements of bullying and cyberbullying in them.

Cyberbullying Effects on Society: Social Media

Social media has made it easy for people to keep in touch with each other, but it has also made it easier to participate in cyberbullying. In addition to making it easy to bully someone online while staying behind an Internet persona, children and teens are often exposed to bullying behaviour through these sites, especially if they follow celebrities or sports stars. When these high-profile stars experience trouble in their lives, they often become the victim of cyberbullying themselves. As children witness this behaviour, it has become more acceptable to partake in it themselves because everyone else is doing it.

Cyberbullying Effects on Society: Glorified Violence

Some people feel that one of the biggest causes of cyberbullying and bullying, in general, is the glorification of violence, especially in movies and video games. Children are exposed to more electronics today than they have ever been in the past. Many of these games and movies portray violence in a way that makes it attractive to children and teenagers. However, not all children or teenagers will turn to actual violence as they see it portrayed in these situations. Instead, they may turn their aggression toward bullying other children.

Cyberbullying Effects on Society: A Need to Fit in

Today’s society places a strong emphasis on fitting into the mould that society deems as normal. For instance, the media portrays being skinny as the only way to look beautiful. This means anyone who doesn’t fit into this societal “norm” stands a higher chance of being bullied. In the same way, those who do feel they are different are more likely to turn to bully behaviour themselves as a way to try to fit in with the “cool” kids.

Cyberbullying Effects on Society: A Selfish Attitude

Another problem that is prevalent in today’s society is the selfish attitude of “me first” and failing to feel empathy for anyone else. While there are still people who show true caring for others, far too many people take the attitude that they are more important than anyone else. When children exhibit this type of selfish attitude, they are more likely to lash out at others and make fun of them for differences and other issues.

Cyberbullying Effects on Society: Feelings of Power

Power is a feeling everyone wants to experience. This can often lead to instances of cyberbullying and bullying in the real world. Picking on someone for a difference allows the bully to feel as if he is more powerful than the victim. This sense of power may be misplaced, but it makes the bully feel good for a period of time. As long as the victim doesn’t fight back, the behaviour will continue and may even escalate to achieve that feeling of power over again.

Cyberbullying Effects on Society: Depression

Both children who have been bullied and those who have done the bullying are more likely than other children to suffer from depression. In some cases, depression comes before the act of bullying, but in many cases, it comes afterwards. No matter when it occurs, it can lead to even more bullying from the bully in an attempt to make himself feel better. This is why it is important for parents and educators to pay attention to what is going on in the lives of the children with whom they come into contact. Identifying and treating depression can help curb these behaviours.

So is society to blame for cyberbullying? The answer to this question can really go either way. There are many causes of bullying, and every situation will be different. Society has definitely changed in the last couple of decades to make things socially acceptable that were once considered to be wrong or improper. There are more families that are in turmoil for a variety of reasons and children are being exposed to many things they were previously oblivious to. Therefore, it is important to realize that while society does have a role in the world of cyberbullying, it isn’t the only factor to consider. Paying attention to all the factors is critical to the successful reduction of cyberbullying instances.

What do you think are the effects of cyberbullying on society? do you think we are aware of the complete effects of cyberbullying on society? weigh in below on the effects of cyberbullying on society now!