How to end Cyber Bullying?

Ending Cyber Bullying

In the age of the Internet and socializing online there is a downfall. Many people go online to for information or for entertainment purposes. Many use social media to connect with others who have the same thing in common with them. In this way, social media is a very positive thing because it makes people feel more connected and less like they are a loner and have no one to talk to. However, there is always bad that comes with the good. 

Before, bullying used to be contained to the school hallways and maybe other public places. We've all seen the bully picking on the the kids in school by taking their lunch money or pulling other pranks on them. Now, they are able to bully anyone at any time and in any place. This bullying isn't even just name calling, but can actually lead to a person telling someone else to kill themselves, which is never okay. Sometimes, this ends tragically.

How can social media sites help to stop cyber bullying? Surely it is difficult to monitor the millions who are using their site all times, but is there a way that is more effective to help stop cyber bullying when it starts or even before it starts?

Heather Lynne, an avid social media user, believes "They should have a computerized system built into it (the social media site) that flags anyone who uses hate words that it recognizes and after so many posts that person gets their account suspended for x amount of time and sends them a notification to their email explaining why as well as a link about cyber bullying."

This is similar to what some social media sites do at the moment. Twitter has the option of reporting an account, and after so many reports they are suspended. However, the person can fight it and usually ends up getting their account back anyways, causing them to start the cyber bullying once again. 

Brett Schultz agrees with the computerized system, but takes it a step further, "I think if you get caught cyber bullying it should follow you, and every social site you use should be required to register as a cyber bully and everyone will know forever."

Diana Gebski had a similar opinion: "I think that there should be a way that cyber bullying can be tracked by the user that is doing the bullying and sites can have the option of running a cyber background check to see if someone is a repeat offender of cyber bullying. Then the site can have the option to either deny access or grant them access on a probationary period."

In all these cases, it seems it may be a great idea to have one system have the ability to track cyber bullying in all social media networks. There are currently many different organizations working to put an end to cyber bullying, so maybe sometime in the future the cyber world will have a more effective way of tracking and ending it as well.