Hit me with Your best shot! :p

"Cyberbullying" is when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or cell phones. Throughout this semester, I have discussed the harms technology has on our youth. My main focus has been on cyberbullying.

Recently, the Bert Show on radio station 99.7 had an episode on the right age for a kid to have a cell phone. Some parents called in and said they gave their kids a cell phone at four years old; others said they waited until their kid was a teenager. The average was around the age of twelve years old. I remember I did not receive a cell phone until I was 14 years old. This made me seriously disturbed.

My nephew, who is eight years old, uses his mother’s phone to play games.  He has no need or desire to use the cell phone for calls and/or texting. The real topic on The Bert show was... "What do young kids have to text about?"

This is where cyberbullying comes in to the picture. Kids are able to spread rumors on their cell phones. Articles in the newspapers are indicating that kids are being subjected to being cyber bullied at younger and younger ages. Why are parents opening them up for this abuse? A recent movie was even released called Cyberbully. This issue is becoming so popular that celebrities are even starting a movement to stop the cyberbullying.

Children have killed each other and committed suicide after having been involved in a cyberbullying incident. Cyberbullying may rise to the level of a misdemeanor cyberharassment charge, or if the child is young enough, may result in the charge of juvenile delinquency. Most of the time cyberbullying does not go so far as to be criminal in nature, even though parents often try and pursue criminal charges. When schools try and get involved by disciplining the student for cyberbullying actions that took place off-campus and outside of school hours, they are often sued for exceeding their authority and violating the student's free speech right.

~These facts raise several questions. Should cyberbullying be illegal? Are parents not paying attention to their children? How far can cyberbullying go until we actually see it as a problem?~

Technically, we cannot pass a law about cyberbullying. Why? People say bad things about politics! People dislike movie stars! People will not like other people! It is our first amendment to practice our freedom of speech and courts cannot take it away. People can stop it though. Parents can start by monitoring their children’s internet and cell phone activities more closely.  Educate children on how to use proper use the Internet and cell phone.  Use parent blocking on websites that utilize social interaction medias and chat rooms to when they can watch the conversations that take place.  Educators and coaches can listen to the conversations kids are having at school and during extracurricular activities and call attention to incidents that they feel may be suspect of cyberbullying.  Most of all, provide opportunities for youth to convene together under adult supervision to discuss the harm cyberbullying does to the self-esteem of peers.

Cyberbullying will continue because society can’t catch all the bullies especially when the activities usually happen when others are aren’t watching. However, awareness must continue to be escalated to the extreme so that the innocent can be protected. New forms of cyberbullying will soon emerge and perhaps laws will be passed. My voice is for protecting our innocent children and not allowing technology to stir up more mayhem. Let’s try to use good judgment and open our eyes wide as we become the future parents, educators and coaches of children in a cyber-world of closet bullying.