Bullying has been around for ages and has occurred in various settings, sometimes at school, in social groups, and even at home. However, since the internet has become more accessible and an integral part of everyone’s lives, bullying has taken over a new form. Today, the internet is being used differently by people. While some are using it to learn and grow in their career, others use it to harm people by bullying them. This harassment of people over the internet is called cyberbullying. It can take place through any means in the cyberworld and can be overwhelming and devastating not only to the victims but also to their families and the people who witness it. The people who experience cyberbullying on social media or any other platform go through multiple challenges like emotional outbreak, social awkwardness, disturbed mental health, physical pain, etc.
Today in this article, we are going to talk more about the effects of cyberbullying on social media. While learning about these effects won’t curb the pain or provide you with a safe haven from bullying, they will work as a warning sign and alert you when it's time to be concerned. Learning about these effects can’t change the past but will definitely help safeguard people from cyberbullying in the future.
Emotional Effects
Unsurprisingly, cyberbullying is one of the most stressful experiences in the lives of people. Being a victim, the person starts to feel so many negative emotions and even fear from society. At times, they start blaming themselves for everything that happened to them. Here is the list of major emotional damage that a person feels after being bullied online.
1. Embarrassment or Humiliation: Cyberbullying involves sharing nasty messages, images, and posts of the victim with people on the internet. This leaves the person feeling exposed, embarrassed, overwhelmed, and humiliated.
2. Isolation: When a person faces cyberbullying on social media, they not just become socially awkward but also start getting disconnected from the world. They avoid meeting their friends and families or going to social gatherings. They even stop using their phones and stay isolated.
3. Powerlessness: The victims of cyberbullying find it challenging to feel safe in their environment anymore. They feel powerless to stop or change what has happened to them. They think that anyone can invade their privacy, and they can’t escape from that.
Mental Effects
Cyberbullying on social media is growing with every passing day, deteriorating the mental health of the victim and their family. While everybody is different and feels differently after being bullied, here are some of the common mental impacts found over time.
1. Suicidal Thoughts and Self-Harm: Various researches have proved that cyberbullying has led to suicidal tendencies because of the feeling of hopelessness or loneliness. Harming themselves or thinking about committing suicide is the response of many to their intense feelings.
2. Low Self-Esteem: Being abused online makes the person self-conscious and insecure, thus losing their self-esteem. They don’t feel accepted in society and start to doubt their existence which damages their self-worth or confidence.
3. Problems With Focusing: Lack of focus is another aspect due to cyberbullying of the victim. The incident and their thoughts keep playing in their head in a loop, making it difficult for them to focus on things.
4. Depression & Anxiety: The people experiencing cyberbullying may slip into depression, anxiety, or other stress disorder. The trauma of being bullied adds up to the stress of their daily lives and takes away their happiness, which leads to depression and feelings of anxiety.
Behavioral Effects
Cyberbullying not just impacts mental health and makes the person emotional but also affects the behavior. People who are cyberbullied exhibit a behavioral change that is relatively more significant than other effects. Take a look at some of the changes you may notice in the victim's behavior.
1. Abuse Drugs & Alcohol: After being harassed online, people find it much easier to engage in drugs and alcohol to cope with the situation. Suffering from emotional distress and disturbed mental health makes them experiment with drugs at an early stage or engage in fights with peers.
2. Dropping Grades: The impact of cyberbullying is often seen in all aspects of life, including schooling and grades. The victim often loses interest in school or job and has a deteriorating career. They begin to skip school, which takes them toward academic failure.
3. Being Arrogant or Rude: Change in behavior is another common impact of cyberbullying on social media. The person who deals with cyberbullying experiences many emotions, making them seem rude or arrogant to others.
Physical Effects
Getting targeted by cyberbullies is devastating with the feeling of overwhelm and stress. This not just impacts a person emotionally or mentally but also physically. Some of the physical issues that the victim experiences are:
1. Gastrointestinal Issues: Intense feeling of stress results in gastrointestinal issues. People start to experience upset stomach, abdominal pain, stomach ulcers, and more. They might also struggle with frequent vomiting, nausea, and other conditions.
2. Eating Disorder: There is a high possibility that a victim might experience an eating disorder. Skipping meals or binge eating are the usual effects. When it becomes out of control, the victims cannot keep up with their eating habits, and hence, their eating pattern gets disturbed.
3. Difficulty Sleeping: Good sleep is connected with a peaceful mind. Experiencing cyberbullying on social media impacts the person’s sleeping pattern and makes them toss and turn all night, stressing over the incident. They might experience nightmares, insomnia, etc.
4. Becoming quieter or withdrawn: This is one of the most common reactions people show when being bullied. They withdraw themselves from social life and become quieter and lost. They shut down and hide from the world.
Final Words
These are some of the common effects of cyberbullying on social media. It is no surprise that the effects of cyberbullying can be rough on the victim and others as well. However, noticing the early signs and red flags might help you in stopping the crime and safeguarding the victim. While there’s no easy way to deal with these effects, the best you can do is be there with the victim of cyberbullying on social media and support them through thick and thin. Let them know that you got their back and figure out together what you are going to do next.
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