Cyber Bullying Epidemic

The Growing Epidemic of Cyberbullying

Sarah Butler committed suicide at the age of thirteen after being cyberbullied continuously. After Sarah was voted Queen for her school dance, many people started teasing her in school, and later on it started happening online. She was bullied on a site called Myspace, being called a “slut” and many other names. Sarah tried to ignore Myspace and the bullies, but things kept getting worse. On the morning of her suicide the last message she read said that she was easily forgotten, and that she was just a stupid little naive girl and nobody would miss her. Her parents found her after she hanged herself with a note that said she just couldn't handle what others were saying about her(Sarah Lynn Butler). Cyberbullying

Kids nowadays constantly use their phones any chance they get to check in on what has been going on since the last time that they checked that site. In a statistic done by The Statistic Portal stated that 81% of U.S. population use some sort of social media site. But it is what you use social media for that really matters(U.S. Population). The internet can be used for great things such as keeping up with your friends and family, but the sad thing is it can also be used for hurtful things such as name calling and harassment. That is called cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is something that is so common today because people find it easier to say things over the internet rather than saying it in person. In another study done by Do Something, it states that 43% of kids have been cyberbullied(11 Facts About CyberBullying). That means that almost half the kids that use social media sites are getting bullied in a way. It is terrible how people use something that was made for people to use as a good way to communicate with other and use it as a way to bring others down and say things that they would never say to that person’s face. Schools need to start taking action more about what is being said on social media to other students so things can change. If people told staff at school what was going on those people who were cyberbullying others could get to consequences of their actions and could make them see why cyberbullying is such an issue. Schools could also have a class that teaches kids about social media and why it could be harmful. If is taught in schools, we will know for sure that every single kid is educated and knows right from wrong. Some people may think it is stupid to learn about cyberbullying because they never plan on cyberbullying somebody. We may not use it ever in life, but it’s still important we learn it. Cyberbullying is such an important topic to learn about that