The Importance of Cyberbullying

Rakha Aruna Dewa

Image from Kompasiana

 A lot of people say cyberbullying is dangerous but why is that? Elena Pearl Ben-Joseph in Kidshealth.org stated that Cyberbullying is the use of technology to harass, threaten, embarrass, or target another person. Its behavior is aimed to scare people, anger, or shaming the targeted. According to UNICEF, The majority of victims who are targeted are children who use digital technology and mostly in video games. There are lots of types of cyberbullying that include spreading lies or posting embarrassing pictures/photos of someone on social media, sending hurtful messages or threats via messaging platforms, impersonating someone, and sending mean messages to others on their behalf. From my personal point of view, I have experienced cyberbullying many times from strangers in games. It usually happens when someone who bullies has a bigger advantage or more skills than other people, but it can also happen when the guy who got mad at someone who was just joking around or just doing an action that the game intended to do.

For example, a game called “Rise of Nations” is intended for the players to play as a nation and conquer other countries or make alliances with other countries, hence a lot of players get mad when their country gets invaded without any reasoning. Because online bullying is frequently anonymous or difficult to track, it can be especially harmful and disturbing. It's extremely difficult to manage, and the victim has no idea how many individuals (perhaps hundreds) have seen the messages or posts. When they check their phone or computer, they might be tormented indefinitely. 

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There are a lot of causes that can lead to cyberbullying from revenge of the victims of bullying, showing off their power, being bored, or following the trend or society around it.  Bullying is supposed to boost confidence by giving the impression that the bully has control, which is one of the main reasons why socially active people bully others; it gives them a sense of power and allows them to maintain their popularity. Some people were motivated by vengeance to engage in cyberbullying. Being bullied on a regular basis leads individuals to believe that tormenting others is only natural because certain people deserve to be bullied. It isn't always sufficient. Some claim they'll start looking for new targets who appear to be weaker than they are. 

When you're bullied online, it might feel like you're being assaulted from every direction, including your own house. It may appear that there is no way out. The effects of the one who bullies it can vary from having punishment from school, parents, friends or if the person got way too far such as hacking the victims personal information or hacking a company, etc, they can get caught by the authorities. As for the effects Cyberbullying can have a variety of consequences for us.

However, these obstacles may be overcome, and people's confidence and health can be restored.  People may be hesitant to speak up or try to solve a situation if they fear being laughed at or harassed by others. Cyberbullying can even lead to people taking their own lives in extreme circumstances. A lot of victims can experience depression, anxiety, and many more mental health problems since it's more of using the internet rather than physical contact. Unfortunately, a lot of people that got affected by cyberbullying and didn’t seek help/professional help from other people that are close passed away. A lot of the victims that didn’t seek help are often afraid or thought that this isn’t a serious problem to deal with. From my point of view, some of my friends online have had this experience and sought help from me which is one of the ways to counter depression.

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One of the reasons reporting cyberbullying is so crucial is that we all want it to end. However, developing the Internet we want requires more than simply condemning bullying. We must be cautious about what we share or say that may cause harm to others. We must be kind to one another both online and in person. It is up to each and every one of us. You can also don’t respond or retaliate, this is one of the easiest ways to counter cyberbullying. You can block or don’t respond to the bullying on social media or other digital platforms. We can educate ourselves or other people about bullying or how to respond to cyberbullying, this is the most crucial step for spreading information since education is everything. Don’t forget to trust your family, friends, and other people you hold dearly and make sure to tell them if you have encountered cyberbullying and differentiated between a joke and bullying, you can do this by paying attention to your own feelings or the person's feelings.

In conclusion,  cyberbullying is a major threat to people’s mental health especially at this pandemic times when people resort to using social media because of the quarantine.

Reference:

• “Cyberbullying: What Is It and How to Stop It.” UNICEF, www.unicef.org/end-violence/how-to-stop-cyberbullying. 

• “Cyberbullying (for Teens) - Nemours Kidshealth.” Edited by Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, KidsHealth, The Nemours Foundation, Apr. 2018, kidshealth.org/en/teens/cyberbullying.html. 

• Engagement, Communication and. “Cyberbullying and Teenagers.” Education, NSW Department of Education, 18 Nov. 2020, education.nsw.gov.au/parents-and-carers/wellbeing/technology/cyberbullying-and-teenagers#How3. Gabriel, Grace. “What Are

• the Causes of Cyber Bullying?” English BINUS University, 29 Nov. 2019, english.binus.ac.id/2015/06/22/what-are-the-causes-of-cyber-bullying/.

Is Having Debate Classes in School Important?

Rakha Aruna Dewa

In my opinion, having a debate class is important because it can help students to speak up and express their opinions on a certain topic. Not only that but debate class can also improve a lot of skills such as improved critical thinking, public speaking skills, enhanced teamwork skills, and collaboration, etc. Debate classes can also encourage students to have a bigger sense of tolerance since in a debate you may not agree with other people's opinion on a specific topic, but with a greater sense of tolerance, you can at least understand and accept the opinion of others that do not agree with your opinion easily. Since you are not asked to agree with people’s opinions in a debate, tolerance is an important life skill that helps well in the future and improves your relations personally or professionally. Not only can debate improve social skills, communication skills, it can also help our emotional control since arguments can sometimes lead to emotional arguments such as being upset with other debaters. Of course, you don't have to lack emotion entirely since emotions are vital in debating to understand both sides of the argument.

From debating you can also learn knowledge that is outside the regular academic subjects that are taught in school, which can help you in the future since if you pick a specific job such as working as a diplomat you will probably won't be needing math or science that is taught in school but instead you’ll need public speaking skills and debating skills since being a diplomat is representing your country.

Attending debate classes can also benefit from being an active member and can be noted in your resume for university and professional qualifications that you want to apply to. You can also be a guest speaker if you're already retired since you are very well known as an active member of the community.