Internet Bullying

         Bullying over the internet has been a serious issue ever since the internet was created in 1983. Recently though, people have started to become completely different versions of themselves over the internet and social medias. A few of the most popular reasonings people give for acting different on the internet are: they feel more comfortable on the internet, they feel they can be their true selves, or they feel they can say more behind a screen.
         Being comfortable on the internet is one thing, but changing your entire personality is a different story. Most people believe that being in their home on their personal laptop is a safety zone to write or post anything from. What these people don't realize though is that being behind a screen too often can make them socially awkward or numb to other's feelings in a sense. Without seeing the person they are posting about or even talking to, it has been proven to be much easier to say hurtful and offensive things about them or their race, culture, gender, or ethnicity. By saying these hurtful things, relationships are hindered, or even ruined, and certain negative reputations can be created, even though you might be a very polite and generous person.
         These two-sided personalities caused by the internet also has fault lying in individuals claiming they can be their true selves on the internet and all of the social medias available. Social media like Facebook, Instagram or Twitter allow a person to post or re-post anything they feel. At the first glance, this may seem like a positive thing because those individuals get to express themselves in any way they want, but as it is looked into deeper, this can be a very negative thing. I am a victim to this myself. There can be little to no thought about what a certain person might post or re-post. On most occasions, posts are written or shared because someone either thinks the post is funny, or relatable to them specifically. What these people don't consider though, is the audience they may be sharing these posts with. What might be funny or relatable to one person, could be very angering or offensive to another.
         One last reason why everyday people have two polar opposite personalities due to the internet is because certain people feel they can say more when they are behind their screen. This example ties into the previous reasons stated in the ways of writing or re-posting content that may be hurtful towards one of their online friends. This reason is also where bullying comes into play. Many teenagers and young adults, and even older and wiser adults fall victim to bullying over the internet. The things that people say to one another can be cruel and unpleasant to read, but since it is written on the internet and the person writing cannot see other's faces, the effects do not phase them as deeply. Remorse will still be felt, but not as deeply as it would if these people were to say the same things in person.
         This problem has become larger and more urgent as the internet becomes larger and has more influence on those who have social media accounts. By acting different on the internet, people tend to lose sight of who they are. These actions are justified with the reasonings of being more comfortable on the internet, they feel they can be their true selves, and they feel they can say more behind a screen. The internet has always been subject to bullying, but it is time for it to stop.