Cyberbullying or cyberharassment is a form of bullying through digital means. Social media trolling, hacking of your accounts, and other forms of harassment come under this domain. These include harsh behavior, threats, sexual remarks, slut-shaming, and spreading rumors on the internet. Cyberbullying has been increasing rapidly over the years, and now is a criminal offense. It is highly prevalent among teenagers and young adults, because of the technological advancements and expansion of the digital world. It often affects the victim and makes them scared, angry, depressed, and frustrated.
There have been researches on finding the reasons behind such bullying and possible solutions to this. Cyberbullying is quite harmful and more dangerous as the offender is often anonymous, and it is hard to track them down and punish them. Technology has taken a huge leap in every field, whether business or personal branding. Many people misuse technology and harm others’ mental health. Therefore, it is important to know what to do when you are cyberbullied.
What can you do when you are cyberbullied?
Cyberbullying is almost omnipresent everywhere these days, it is very hard to be hidden from it. In case, it happens to you, you must know what you could do to get out of all this stuff. Here are several ways that you can follow to do the same.
Do not respond
When you feel that someone is cyber bullying you, keep your cool and do not respond to hurtful texts, emails, or posts. Try to ignore them and keep your cool, never have fear. Ignoring is the first way, as they would die down soon when they realize there are no responses from you.
Keep the record
In case you are cyber bullied by unusual texts or mail, keep them with you. Document them. Also if it is a post on social media get the screenshots and keep them with you as proof. You must have a record of the incident if you ever need to prove it, conditionally. If you want to take legal actions, these will come in handy for sure.
Block and Report the Culprit
The best way to be away from such stuff is whenever you feel you are cyberbullying by anyone, block that user and be patient and calm. Your fear can be dangerous if you have it in front of the culprit. Do not panic and report them right away. This would help the platform know that this user is misusing their service.
Do not face it alone
Remember that you are not alone at all. You have your family, friends, relatives, or who so ever you feel comfortable with. Share your problem immediately with them. If it involves any kind of threat then do not avoid getting help from the police. Your safety should be your priority, and that could only be done when you do not keep this a secret in yourself. Let others know, and seek help.
Keep your passwords private
A very common cause of cyberbullying is to access your personal information. There are many ways that can lead your personal details and passwords out. Therefore, keep your passwords with yourself and also be aware of unusual digital platforms. Never submit your details especially passwords without knowing the terms and conditions, and the privacy of the links, websites, forms, and apps. Be cautious and alert while you use any sort of technology. Learn about the privacy settings of your social media accounts, and follow for the same. Keep your things private so that outsiders cannot access them without your consent.
Be careful while posting
You need to careful when you are posting. Check your settings who can see your posts, be sure that you are not posting anything offensive on the platform. Otherwise, a cyberbully may use it against you. However, it is necessary to have a check on your posts if you want to share them comfortably.
To sum up, Cyberbullying is an increasing crime today, certainly among teenagers. It needs to stop and be carefully looked at. All you need to do is: remain calm and cool, keep your personal information private, and never share passwords with anyone. The only way to get rid of being cyberbullied is to have control over your mind and moving with utmost care.
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