Online bullying?

[ignoramus]

Watched a thing on the news about trying to stamp out online bullying again...
I'm a little confused.

How does online bullying manifest itself?
Is it about befriending, badmouthing, etc

Is it basically gossip bitching long distance between spoilt 13 yo girls or something?
Can't they simply delete their fb account?

What about boys?

If someone's gonna get depressed over fb, maybe they got bigger problems to begin with?

What about as adults? Are adults immune to this sort of childish behavoir?

Talk to me or I'll tell everybody you have invisible friends in the sky!

[ignoramus]

Here it is... (adult bullying)

'Unfriending' on Facebook can amount to bullying, Fair Work Commission says'

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-25/fa...ng/6805484

[Ben Davis]

How does online bullying manifest itself?

In much the same way that bullying does in real life: ridicule, belittlement, exploiting vulnerabilities, threatening behaviour, attempted dominance, limiting the social influence of others... everything except physical chastisement.

What about as adults? Are adults immune to this sort of childish behavoir?

Nope. Happens in the workplace, too.

The biggest issue with cyberbullying is that it gives the bully access to their target 24/7, in environments where targets used to be safe (e.g. at home). It's that constant, unrelenting aspect to the bullying that gives online forms potentially greater psychologically impact than others.

[Edwardo Piet]

I think cyber bullying is a really nasty thing but in my own personal experience it is only possible for someone to be cyber bullied if they are one of those sorts of people who feel that they have to respond to the bully.

I have been on the internet every day - except for occasions when my internet went down - since I was 12 now and I am 27. I have never ever been cyberbullied. I have had arguments with people and whenever they tried to upset me I always put them on block. If they come back to 'bully' me on another name I changed my account or whatever I had to do. I was always brought up to believe it's 'not worth it'. I am not one to retaliate and I have never fed the troll.

Block the bully, starve the troll.

I feel really bad for those who cannot avoid the temptation to respond and then they have their lives ruined by horrible nasty cyber bullies. Whenever I see someone being bullied and I suggest the 'block' button they never use it

[Aoi Magi]

How does online bullying manifest itself?

In much the same way that bullying does in real life: ridicule, belittlement, exploiting vulnerabilities, threatening behaviour, attempted dominance, limiting the social influence of others... everything except physical chastisement.

What about as adults? Are adults immune to this sort of childish behavoir?

Nope. Happens in the workplace, too.

The biggest issue with cyberbullying is that it gives the bully access to their target 24/7, in environments where targets used to be safe (e.g. at home). It's that constant, unrelenting aspect to the bullying that gives online forms potentially greater psychologically impact than others.

Exactly. It's just the constant psychological torment that gets to you, and there isn't much room to escape online.

If you look at our mafia section, you can see how much stress and depression can be caused in people, simply by disagreeing with them. These days, being online has become a social norm, and is pretty much the only way to escape real life issues. So when the bullying comes online, especially for adults who will have to bottle-up the distress within them the threat becomes much more dangerous than irl.

[dyresand]

Honestly this is how i feel about online bullying... if they keep harassing you delete all your accounts that they follow you on and make all new ones.
If they some how get the new ones (this is just the black hat side of me speaking) get their ip and do stuff. (i wouldn't say do it).

[Edwardo Piet]

I think that the importance of the 'block' or 'ignore' button needs to be stressed heavily. As does changing accounts emails and passwords.

[Ben Davis]

I think that the importance of the 'block' or 'ignore' button needs to be stressed heavily. As does changing accounts emails and passwords.

I know what you mean but the whole idea of dodging the bully isn't necessarily a ready solution. Imagine a school kid , early-mid teens, whose social network is largely dependent on a constant, established online presence and a certain level of associated reputation. The idea of ditching that online presence is almost unthinkable; in fact, bullies sometimes use the idea of such a loss or the deconstruction/destruction of that presence as a weapon in their bullying arsenal. If blocking 'Dave' will cause confrontation in the school yard or disassociate you from certain people, you may even accept online bullying as a 'lesser of 2 evils'!

Plus, while this approach can have a lot of value, if it's taken in isolation it doesn't help address the bullies or the causes of bullying. Any effective support requires a multi-faceted approach.

[Edwardo Piet]

Well I guess I was always lucky as a kid by having no friends then.

So...

Step 1. Don't have friends.

Step 2. Block bullies.

Step 3. Delete accounts if need be.

[Thumpalumpacus]

I simply keep in mind that it's the Internet. I don't give a shit about people's opinions IRL, and I see no reason to give a shit about an online troll's opinion either. If someone gives me shit online, I simply laugh at them for being so stupid as to think that teh Internet is SRS BSNS. I might laugh directly to them. If they follow me around, I might drag them to a friendly (to me) arena and point and laugh publicly. Or I might simply laugh to myself as I order that Black Sabbath CD I've been meaning to get. I might use block. There are many ways to skin a cat.

When someone is that focused on me, what that really means is that I am the one with the power in that relationship.