In present-day times, teens and adults have a wider variety of social media apps to choose from compared to the early 2000s. While options include short videos from TikTok and posts and memes from Facebook, social media offers thousands of possibilities for the users to choose from; but, with wider access to the world, the dangers come lurking in.

In the years that social media became prominent in society, users have found that with the good comes the bad. Cyberattacks like distributed denial of service (DDoS) could lead to personal information being stolen. Not only do such threats exist, but cyberbullying jeopardizes younger minds.
“Overall, about 30% of the teens we have surveyed over the last twelve studies have told us that they have been cyberbullied at some point in their lifetimes,” Cyberbullying Facts states. “Cyberbullying is related to low self-esteem, suicidal ideation, anger, frustration, and a variety of other emotional and psychological problems.”

The internet has also introduced users to “Cancel Culture,” a phrase used to describe the late 2010s to early 2020s when a content creator is shunned, boycotted, and ostracized for misspoken and unacceptable behavior. Users are forced to constantly walk on eggshells because one wrong opinion can often lead to a cancellation, which can include DDoXing the user and leaking private information to the public.

Cyberbullying is often done for the same reasons as normal bullying is, but may come across as more appealing because of the anonymous aspect behind it. Users are able to conceal their true identities behind usernames and fake profile pictures to bully with little consequences. For most humans, being able to sit behind a screen and say insults to another is easier to do in person. 

“In general, bullies’ behavior usually stems from their own problems. Stopbullying.gov reports that bullies tend to have less involved parents, to be less excited about school, and to be depressed or anxious. They often have trouble controlling their emotions and impulses and find it hard to follow rules,” Endcyberbullying.net said.

Teens who experience cyberbullying have felt effects such as: emotion and physical harm, loss of self-esteem, feelings of shame and anxiety, and even concentration or learning difficulties can stem from bullying. But, by taking proper internet safety into consideration, teenagers can protect themselves from harm online.