EBI XHAFERAJ Date: 15.01.

2023
PORTFOLIO
SUBJECT: ENGLISH
ESSAY
TOPIC: “Online bullying – how to be safe?”
We are currently living in the XXI-Century, and we can confidently say that none of us can
imagine a life without the internet. The internet has become such fundamental part in our
everyday life, that we don’t only rely on it work-wise but we also depend our human needs on it-
such as socialization. To catch up with friends, people use social medias. Networks like
Instagram and Twitter have millions of daily online users. People are now connecting sharing,
reuniting and making new friends through the internet. However, with all these benefits, when
does this online socializing have its bad effects?
The technology has indirectly given birth to cyberbullying. To put it simply, cyberbullying refers
to the misuse of information technology with the intention of harassing others. Cyberbullying
comes in various forms. Cyberbullying can be something as simple as a negative comment under
someone’s post on the internet. However it can also come across in more complex forms such as:
profile hacking, posing to be someone else, spreading rumors online etc.
Cyberbullying is a multi-faced issue. However, the intention of this activity is one and the same,
to hurt people and bring them harm. A study conducted by UDAYA1 in India using a sample of
11,864 people (aged 10–19 years), revealed that teenagers who experienced cyberbullying
victimization were 2.07 times more likely to have depressive symptoms compared to those who
did not experience cyberbullying victimization. It also results in a lot of insecurities and
complexes. The victim which suffers cyberbullying in the form of harassing starts having self-
doubt. When someone points at your insecurities, they only tend to enhance. Similarly, the
victims worry and lose their inner peace, whilst feeling like they are not good enough.
Cyberbullying prevention is the need of the hour. It needs to be monitored and put an end to, and
there are several ways to tackle this phenomenon.
Firstly, the sensibilization of the people for the harms of cyberbullying is very important. We
need to teach people never to share personal information online. For instance, listing a home
address or phone number can make you a target to cyberbullying easily. Secondly it’s important
to think twice before posting something on the internet. It can be important to avoid posting
explicit photos of yourself online. Discussing personal matters online can also be dangerous. In
other words, keep the information limited within your trusted group of people. Most importantly,
never ever share your internet password and account details with anyone. Keep all this
information to yourself alone. Be alert and do not click on mysterious links, as they may be
scams and can put your private information stored online at risk.
In conclusion we can say that, awareness is the key to protect oneself from online harassment. As
it may be impossible to put an end to cyberbullying, we should make sure people are aware of
the dangers of the internet from an early age so they are always cautious. Moreover, parents must
monitor their children’s online activities and limit their usage. Reporting cyberbullying instantly
without delay is also very fundamental as this can prevent further incidents from taking place.

Sources:
1.
Understanding the Lives of Adolescents and Young Adults (UDAYA)
https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-022-04238-x