Teenagers' excessive use of social networks into disguised bullying Western media: beware of online gossip

The Spanish newspaper Pioneer recently reported that adolescence and social networking sites are a dangerous combination. ICTs (information and communication technologies) have completely changed children's relationships with their classmates and parents, both in school and at home. The use of these social networking sites by young people is not only beneficial, but also harmful. On the one hand, social networking sites are inclusive, making you feel like you're part of a community, no matter what your interests are. And interpersonal communication is fast and instant. On the other hand, however, cyberspace is also used to harass vulnerable groups in the form of insults, nicknames, rumors or slander. One of the most interesting forms of bullying is "cyber gossip".

Multiple studies have shown that more than 24 percent of teens use their digital devices to communicate on social networks every day, and more than half log in several times a day. According to Unicef, one in three young people aged 11 to 17 experiences problems using the Internet, either by bullying the weak or by becoming overly addicted to social networks. There are many ways to bully, especially after the implementation of home isolation measures, and the most common channel is social media.

Sylvie Perez, a professor of psychology and pedagogy at the Open University of Catalonia in Spain, points out that bullying is not only "transferred" to social networking sites, but also "amplified" as well. Perez said: "The bullying we were familiar with before continues to exist, and bullies continue to use traditional 'tactics' such as shoving and pulling, causing bullied classmates to be marginalized in study groups, teasing and teasing... In addition to all this, there is another 'invisible' factor – social networking sites. ”

The overuse of the internet and social networking sites stimulates social communication phenomena that exist in all cultures, such as gossip behind the scenes. Cyberbullying in schools manifests itself in many ways, one of which is online gossip.

If you're a millennial, you'll definitely remember the "whistleblowers" that are all the rage on Facebook or Twitter. In 2013, whistleblowers spread like wildfire to universities, middle schools, discos, neighborhoods and even cities. Whistleblowers who are now on the brink of extinction are nothing more than anonymous websites or online groups, and any member of a community can send their "gossip" to webmasters for posting on the site's information wall. In fact, this is a simple version of the American drama "Gossip Girl". Cyberbullying is a form of cyberbullying that is common in schools. (Editor/Liu Lifei)

Source: Reference News Network