Write 6 pages with APA style on Gender Issues in Psychology: Cyberbullying. Where people would once have had to write letters and then wait weeks for a reply, overseas communication is now as simple as a few keystrokes. Needless to say, our lives have become much easier and more convenient than ever before.
The internet is the most triumphant example of the convenience brought about by the digital age. Using the internet, one can view his favorite TV shows, listen to his favorite songs, and even go shopping. Where would have had to search an entire library for information needed for his dissertation, one can now simply go online and look for it on Yahoo or Google. And of course, as already mentioned, communication is made easier, to the point that even people from different parts of the world can easily communicate with each other in real-time. Truly, the advent of the internet is one of the biggest highlights, if not the biggest highlight, of the 21st century.
Unfortunately, the internet has its own dark side. For instance, the ease with which communication can be carried out online also means that bullies can throw their way around more easily. Researchers such as Patchin and Hinuja (2009) have described this phenomenon as one in which technology such as the internet is used to inflict deliberate and repeated harm on others. A wider variety of acts fall under the broad definition of cyberbullying, which is said to range from simply spamming someone’s mailbox to threatening, insulting, or otherwise degrading him online. Depending on the severity of the act, the consequences on the victim’s wellbeing can be very catastrophic, and can even drive him or her to suicide.
Quite literally anyone and everyone can become either a victim or instigator at different moments. whether boy or girl, young or old, one will most likely experience this at some point in his life. What has yet to be determined, though, is which side is more likely to engage in and/or be more affected by this phenomenon – which shall be the objective of this particular study.
