Stress is one of the most significant factors affecting mortality in modern society and has a serious impact on people’s mental and physical health. In today’s society, a variety of factors contribute to increasing stress and even death. Such factors often include the pressure of students to study, stressful schedules, political instability and unrest. One of the things I would like to mention is the presence of stressful and violent content in public online life, known as cyberbullying.
The internet is a unique source of bullying, characterised by the fact that the bully comes from a variety of places and acts without any geographical or temporal restrictions. In simple terms, people are bullied not only from those around them, but also from people outside their communities and even from strangers. Cyberbullying in this very public way can be very painful for those who are bullied, not only by those who are bullied directly, but also by the supporters and sharers of malicious comments, which can have a very negative impact on them(Liam , 2016).
People almost always create an online identity and post their favourite things or routines on the internet, and some users are able to meet and comment on people who share their interests through the internet. However, people think they can get away from some of the difficulties of the real world and come online without realising that the internet can also be a source of great stress. Some religions, cultures, races, genders, disabilities, etc. are all targets of cyberbullying. For example, the #Gamergate movement, which ostensibly existed as a movement of people personally frustrated by the lack of ethical behaviour in games journalism, was turned into a movement of harassment against women and against minority game developers by the influx of internet users (Massanari, 2016). In short, it is a boycott of women and their use of online technology and participation in public activism with them. In addition to this, Reddit, the site that started the movement, exhibits a characteristic that white men are often dominant in this community. The existence of such a site is easy for the internet to promote, and because of the growing influx of internet users and especially the attention of people with similar attitudes, Reddit has become a medium for the development of various propaganda about toxic masculinity. It is a culture where people go against the grain to discuss race, sexual culture, sexual orientation, and so on. This culture gradually makes people who are interested in it feel that they value reason and promote the spirit of online liberalism.(Massanari, 2016).
When Ditch the Label analysed the content of comments on Twitter, it found that some users who are passionate about politics and sports are the most vulnerable to attacks and cyber violence by other users, reflecting the social reality that today’s internet users are malicious and intolerant of other cultures and do not know how to respect different points of view. In addition, the way words were expressed during the 2016 presidential election in the United States of America presented the public with a most ugly spectacle and gave the impression that verbal bullying of others was a normal act because that is what people in Congress do. This farce has also led the public to believe that it is right and not punishable by law to attack people on the internet who hold a different position or opinion to their own. This irrigation of behaviour and ideas makes our right to freedom of expression ironic and creates a disincentive for marginalised groups to express themselves, worsening the very freedom of expression that people are supposed to advocate(Liam , 2016).
The example I have mentioned is only one of many and it is also very difficult to tackle this negative phenomenon at its root. First of all, the Internet and its technologies are being used by more and more people, creating a space of their own on the Internet and socialising and living as they do in real life. The emergence of the fifth estate, which allows people to move freely between real life and online life, has opened the door for people to explore it without being able to avoid some malicious harm(Dutton, 2009).. In recognising that the existence of the Internet is a social phenomenon with significant social implications, it is important that it is managed.
It has to be denied that for most people, the question of whether to intervene in the real atrocities that often occur on social media platforms has already been addressed. But it is still unclear what causes this online violence and the reasons for intervening in it, which is also very difficult, because it is important to balance the need for awareness with the need to reconcile competing value systems for businesses and the need for specific departments to mediate between people who are intentionally or unintentionally hurtful. Furthermore, it is important to emphasize to people respect for political discourse and culture, to be fair to topics such as gender, sexual orientation and race and class, and to extend ethical obligations across national, cultural and linguistic boundaries (Romano, 2020). To deal with such issues, it is necessary to start by addressing the root causes gradually, with governments ensuring that accountability systems are in place and that public debate is properly supported to maintain freedom of expression online, but only if the openness of the Internet is not compromised to minimise risks such as these (Dutton, 2009). When it comes to freedom of expression, this option can be extended to another part of governance, namely the protection of minorities and related media while supporting freedom of expression. Not only this, but media ownership and concentration must also be highly valued and protected. For their part, online businesses must not miss out on any online user and must authenticate them, and just because the government upholds people’s right to anonymity does not mean that they cannot authenticate themselves. In addition, the government should encourage online businesses to be more self-regulatory by developing appropriate self-regulatory processes such as the online auction services used by eBay and other shopping platforms (Dutton, 2009), in other words implementing ‘peer production of internet governance’. After self-regulation, it is recommended to improve the corresponding monitoring positions such as content reviewers who can review and take down “fake news” and some negative content about violence posted by users while promoting positive content posted by users (Gillespie, 2018). As for internet users themselves, people are expected to actively participate in the authentication, follow the internet system in the context of using their freedom of expression, and accordingly take more responsibility as well as appropriateness to participate in monitoring platforms and establishing and governing rules. Participation and monitoring from users can ensure the vitality of the Internet and inspire each platform to govern its own ideas.
In general, all people, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race or religion, should have a fair share of civil liberties and their dignity should not be trampled upon. It is not their fault that people are bullied, but the education and attitude of the bully and these can be taught and corrected. People should not try to change their identity or feel that their identity is unacceptable because of such things. People should be active in expressing their views, and when they encounter people with different views they should communicate on a deeper level rather than attack each other. A democratic country and society cannot be formed without citizens helping each other and understanding each other, and as long as people follow the rules of communication, and the government and companies manage the situation well, the phenomenon of cyberbullying will be reduced.
Reference list
Cyberbullying and hate speech. Ditch the Label. (2020, October 8). Retrieved October 10, 2022, from http://www.ditchthelabel.org/research-papers/cyberbullying-and-hate-speech/
Dutton, W. H. (2009). The fifth estate emerging through the network of networks. Prometheus, 27(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/08109020802657453
GILLESPIE, T. A. R. L. E. T. O. N. (2018). Custodians of the Internet : Platforms, Content Moderation, and the Hidden Decisions That Shape Social Media. In Custodians of the internet: Platforms, content moderation, and the hidden decisions that shape Soci (pp. 1–23). essay, YALE University Press.
Liam , H. (2016, December). Cyberbullying and its implications for human rights. United Nations. Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://www.un.org/en/chronicle/article/cyberbullying-and-its-implications-human-rights
Massanari, A. (2016). #Gamergate and the fappening: How reddit’s algorithm, Governance, and Culture Support Toxic Technocultures. New Media & Society, 19(3), 329–346. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444815608807
Romano, A. (2020, January 20). What we still haven’t learned from Gamergate. Vox. Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://www.vox.com/culture/2020/1/20/20808875/gamergate-lessons-cultural-impact-changes-harassment-laws
The annual Bullying survey 2019. Ditch the Label. (2022, August 15). Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://www.ditchthelabel.org/research-papers/the-annual-bullying-survey-2019/
