I sat in front of my monitor watching the circus that had set camp all of a sudden, my hands were trembling and my vision blurry. The messages were loading faster and faster at a rate that would even defy the speed of light. I couldn't bear to look at the screen anymore, my ears were ringing and the words hurt. My heart sank.

The world was closing in on me. 

“Cyberbullying is a bigger problem than screen time addiction,” the Room For Debate section in the New York Times aptly states. So why are we letting this evil continue? Reports from multiple sources including Economic Times, show that cyberbullying in children is more widespread in India than anywhere else. Pew Research Center reports that nearly half (46%) of American teens have been harassed online, while computer security company McAfee divulged that 85% of Indian children have been cyberbullied.

The psychological effects of cyberbullying are grave- often inducing the victim to internalize their issues. Both victims and perpetrators were reported to suffer from “anxiety, depression and poor appetite”. Victims are unable to form meaningful relationships with people and suffer from low self-esteem. What starts off as an insensitive comment soon turns into an entire group tearing apart a singular person. 

Unknowingly, you become a social pariah.

Perpetrators often say worse things from a keyboard than they would face-to-face. Applications like NGL ( “Not Gonna Lie”) and Ask.fm allow users to hide behind the facade of anonymity, making it harder for a specific perpetrator to be pinpointed. Unlike real-life bullying that is confined to face-to-face interaction, cyberbullying doesn’t end when the school bell rings or when class is dismissed. Block one account, newer accounts arise. 

A popular response used to dismiss cyberbullying is asserting that switching off the problem device may provide a solution. This not only invalidates the victim but also doesn’t address the root of the problem- the bullying itself. Online networking is entrenched into in-person networking, making it easy for poison to seep through an entire social circle.

The question asks itself- how do we counter cyberbullying?

Since shutting down computers isn’t the answer, multiple innovative approaches are required. Each institution must have helplines and counselors. Cyberbullying should be a core topic in every educational curriculum. Stronger laws regarding cyberbullying must be passed so that the burden of proof is transferred from the victim to the accused. 

Take a stand. Identifying, reporting and blocking someone that makes you uncomfortable shouldn’t be an action that invites guilt. Awareness campaigns and mass action are salubrious steps.

In an age where mental health awareness stands at the forefront, it is the need of the hour to be kind to one another.