With the expanding networking possibilities and Internet of Things, the world is transforming into a global village. Anyone anywhere can access and post content on the Internet and this accessibility has made it difficult to filter harmful content. Bullies too have now found their place on the Internet and cyber bullying is turning into a social menace. Cyber bullying takes place through social media platforms, messaging platforms, gaming platforms etc. and can take various forms. It could be in the form of sending or sharing harmful, false and mean content meant for embarrassing and humiliating the victim. It could also reach the level of impersonating someone online and sending messages on their behalf. Nowadays, the content online is considered as permanent public record of one’s activities, views etc. and the aim of the cyber bully is to tarnish this online reputation of the person and in turn their stature in the society. Cyber bullying has serious detrimental effects on both the bully and the bullied with actions sometimes having fatal consequences. It is the source of mental trauma that results in anxiety, depression and several other mental health issues. When looking into cases of cyber bullying, one thing that can be noted is that children are more susceptible to cyber bullying than adults. Adults too fall prey to cyber bullies but cyber bullying among children results traumatic experiences that could hamper their mental and physical development or wellbeing. Children, unaware of the realities of internet and the world would easily fall into the evil hands of such bullies which takes toll on their life. But one cannot survive in today’s world by cutting off from the cyber world. The cyber space is taking up more and more space in our lives as time passes. The Internet has certainly made things easier for us, connecting individuals and organizations around the world and making long-distance communication simple and affordable. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit us unexpectedly it was Internet that saved the world from a complete shutdown. In this scenario instead of chopping off ties with internet we should devise methods to prevent cyber-crimes such as cyber bullying. Though there are rules, laws and mechanisms to check cyber bullying, their effectiveness seems questionable. In such a situation, with the relevance of this issue increasing day by day we need to have a detailed look at this heightening problem of cyber bullying.

Saranya R Kurup

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