Bullied online

Cyberbullying has been a major global crisis since the invention of the internet. The targeted population is the youth. The number of teens using such platforms is increasing by the minute which makes it the perfect space for cyberbullying. The victims of this act become emotionally troubled and often resort to suicide. Reports say that suicide rates have increased by 11 percent all around the world due to cyberbullying, resulting in the death of 140 teens per year.

Popular social media platforms have been taking precautionary measures to cope with this challenge. Despite continuous improvement in creating effective policies; it has been recorded that in 2018 around 34 percent of teens were cyberbullied while 15 percent have admitted to bullying others. In Pakistan, young users of social media have increased manifold. This has amplified their vulnerability to cyberbullying. Both parents and teachers are not aware of the risk and how it can emotionally damage young users. It is high time we find effective ways to control cyberbullying.

Muhammad Rafay Waqar

Lahore