How to Deal with Cyber Bullying?

Cyber bullying is a way of perpetrating suffering and pain through electronic means. Nowadays with the widespread use of digital technologies, people can abuse and harass others with the certainty that they won’t have to deal with the consequences in person. The people who want to be mean just because they find it amusing are always looking to assume a superior tone by using remarks and responses to statements made by others. The whole society that trolls are always actively searching for statements, the nature of which they can change and lessen the meaning of by making it look ridiculous.  

This phenomenon is increasingly common and can make people retaliate with an abusive comment of their own or curl up in a room and swear you won’t leave it. It is impossible for us not to take steps and perform actions while there is still life inside us and hurting anyone just because they cannot reason with themselves over the view they are holding or are just one of the many people who join in saying the same thing when it has already snowballed. Don’t worry too much about cyber bullying because we bring you tips that will help you dismiss thing which should not be given too much importance too.  

Tips To Deal With Cyber bullying

# 1. Avoid Direct Responses  

The people who indulge in cyber bullying are the ones who don’t think twice about what they are doing and even once how the person who they are doing this too will feel. All men go through a phase where they feel terrible in their loneliness. It is completely normal to feel a little bit of disconnect between you and someone else, which makes both of you spend time otherwise but there is another disconnection which occurs with yourself when you feel the terrible need of company. It is very tough to spend your life all by yourself, and one can only minimize interaction with others when there is a safe zone full of loved ones who can shield them from the world’s aggressive and angry behavior. The comment may be about one of your habits or the way you look, and they are just saying it because they have not embraced the worldview that everyone has the right to exist and the contrast present doesn’t have to bring out hatred or enmity but just quiet acknowledgment about one’s presence. When someone attacks you for no good reason, and you respond, then they will just use their head to attack your response as they have set their sight on irritating you. The best way to create harmony in online space is to block the people who seek a fight or not respond when you cannot block them.  

# 2. Collect Evidence  

Sometimes bullying doesn’t stop and it’s usually when people make you the enemy in their head. It may be that you have unknowingly stolen a person who was just their acquaintance but a friend in their head. All of us stir the environment we are a part of in some way or the other and you cannot form special relationships with everyone so when people target you over a petty thing that they don’t say and think you should not have done you get their wrath and the easiest way to give someone their wrath without getting any retaliation or personal confrontation is cyber bullying. When you screenshot the texts that you receive instead of erasing it you can use it to report the user so that the person who is running the web platform takes notice and takes the necessary action.  

# 3. Take Up Activities You Love  

You have to be responsible to take up things that please you from time to time particularly when you find yourself in the middle of a hate brewing storm. Usually, people vent when they feel the sting of something either said to them or seek to release their own pain in the form of vitriol. You need to get away from the screen or unplug altogether from all web platforms for a few days so that you can do the things that make you happy and help you connect with yourself. This is very important as when you do the things you love you get your self -esteem back which comes from accomplishing all kinds of task big and small and stop agonizing over what other people are writing about you.  

# 4. Re-Focus Your Senses  

It is often the case with us when we despite our resistance give in to the whirlwind of online hate and harassment ultimately yielding to self-pity. It becomes even more difficult when our personal information is out there and people make our fake accounts and pick a fight with others using our name or post our picture on someone else’s body to humiliate us. It is very important you rise above this instead of succumbing to it as your reaction is the only thing that really matters setting up your mood. An efficient technique is to pause your brain for five minutes and breathe deeply releasing all negative thoughts and affirming that life is positive. Performing yoga and exercising can also help you be comfortable in your own skin constituting a positive body image.  

# 5. Protect Your Privacy  

Every social web platform has a list of options available from which you can choose and set into effect the ones you prefer. It is impossible to completely go offline these days as social media presence is vital to maintaining both personal and professional relationships. You need to be patient and attentive in identifying the ones who pretend to be your friends but are quick to join in your bashing whenever they see an opportunity. Once you have eliminated the ones who were never close to you, the next step is eliminating the ones who tried their best to deceive you so that whenever you are online you read only about the people you care about and the ones who care about you.  

# 6. Report Objectionable Posts  

Every social platform is constantly gathering reams of data and is looking for a reaction from its users so your reaction and opinion are important. Whenever you see some objectionable content that contains hate speech towards a particular caste or religion or is keen on dividing people for personal gains must be objected to and not liked. It will give the people who know you the knowledge of your right and wrong and if you are living by the right thing then it is your duty to let other’s know about the same.  

# 7. Assess The Meaning  

A lot of times people get confused about the post or statement that includes them and without spending time on the context they get furious or embarrassed. Memes that go around which highlight the similarity between your behavior and that of some popular person are funny and should not be seen as offensive. However, posts, where you are directly in the line of fire for no good reason and are being criticized and abused unnecessarily, is something that cannot be tolerated. There is a thin line between feedback and criticism so you need to tread carefully. If you are not the kind of person who makes himself unhappy then other people should not get any chance to make you unhappy.  

# 8. Join Anti-Bullying Campaigns

When you meet people who have been bullied in their life, it evokes a sentiment of sympathy for them and often makes it easier for you to confide in them about similar instances in your own life. When we get enough people to form a group that shares the same affliction, we become strong enough to spread the message to the world the people who participate in bullying will not only be punished but will be treated with constant disdain and contempt till they grieve over their mistake and change their conduct. If all of us resolve to be good and kind to others we will certainly limit the harm and hatred that causes bullying.  

# 9. Talk  

You need to just go up to the person who has been bullying you and ask them why do you do this? How can your definition of fun be so cruel? How can you not see that overpowering me with the use of either aggressive language or behavior paints you as the bad guy? Viciousness and perpetrating evil is celebrated only in movies where the narrative tells us time and time again that it was the only way as people will not move from their stubborn stance. In real life, it won’t be tolerated and the person who will act this way won’t be seen as a leader but a tyrant. When you talk and reason you will know the mindset of the person doing it, you just have to be persistent in getting an answer. Common reasons are that they saw someone elder to them doing it and so validated it as the norm or it is their coping mechanism to stop painful memories from coming back to them. The thing is something is driving them and it will only stop when addressed and given empathy.  

How do you deal with cyber bullying? Drop your comments in the comment section below.

(Image Courtesy: 1. Npr, 2. Seeds of Heart, 3. CNBC, 4. Independent Women; Canadian Family(Featured Image Courtesy)