Hey again, so it’s my turn to pretend to be a blogger… today, we take a look into the powerhouse that is social media.
Social media, a platform that connects everyone, allows you to keep in touch with people from across the world, share life experiences, baby photos; the list is truly endless. However, as that infamous saying goes, “with great power comes great responsibility”, something that many people are too dim-witted to understand. Sitting on their phone scrolling through social media and commenting using hurtful remarks, classing it as “banter” on a random peoples posts/photos. How are they supposed to know that is banter? I can guarantee that they have no idea what the person is going through mentally, and still feel the need to jump on the metaphorical bandwagon just to get a few likes!
This is a problem in itself, the bullies can’t see the impact they’re having on people’s lives, and it’s not just fellow students at school that are falling victim, celebrities are also under constant attacks. I think a lot of people forget that they are humans too! They bleed like us, they breathe like us, and they are just as susceptible to mental health problems as we are. Cyberbullying can lead to depression, anxiety, and SUICIDE.
Think about that for a second.
Snide remarks can cause another human, just like you, to take their own life just because someone/some people couldn’t keep their comments to themselves. I just can’t fathom it, at all!
Cyberbullying is hard to spot, so take a look here and see how to spot it before it’s too late! – https://www.cbhs.com.au/health-well-being-blog/blog-article/2015/08/04/cyber-bullying-how-to-identify-it-and-how-you-can-help
The cold hard facts
Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people, resulting in about 4,400 deaths per year, according to the American Center for Disease Control. And for every suicide, there are at least 100 suicide attempts.
Let’s do the maths;
440,000 young people attempt to commit suicide PER YEAR from cyberbullying.
Just let that sink in for a second…
Another study found that at least half of suicides amongst young people in the UK are related to bullying. And on top of this, 160,000 kids stay at home PER DAY because of fear of bullying.
Think before you comment next time you feel the urge to ‘have a bit of banter’. You could be playing a part in someone taking their own life, and imagine having that on your conscience for the rest of your life. Instead, let’s try to spread a bit of positivity – just one positive comment amongst a sea of cruel ‘banter’ could be all it takes to have an impact.
So before I sign off for the bank holiday I challenge you to comment something kind on someone’s post or photo.
Have a good one guys,
Matt P