（cyberbullying）3 Body paragraphs and conclusion

Introduction

The Internet-enabled electronic devices are core to many peoples’ lives. In particular, many children and young people (commonly referred to as the digital generation), significantly rely on smartphones and computers for connecting with friends and strangers via social media platforms, entertainment, and gaming. There have been general concerns concerning the staggering rate of harmful online activities involving deliberate harassment and malice against users, although the opportunities and benefits brought about by these screen-based devices. From a Sociological perspective, cyberbullying on North American lead to Government design and implement the appropriate policies ,the issue is increasingly on the rise globally, and poses significant mental and psychological health care issues through the following effects: suicidal ideation, low-self-esteem, violent tendency, depression to users.

Background

Despite the many opportunities and benefits that have been afforded by screen-based technologies, general trends suggest that they also have several side-effects. Many people, especially children, young people and vulnerable adults, have fallen victim to cyberbullying. For instance, as social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook are increasingly becoming popular with teenagers, “the National coverage of cyberbullying-linked teenage self-harm and suicides is also on the rise” (Kwan, et al., 2020). The implication for this phenomenon is that online or cyber-bullies have an increased victim-base. Unfortunately, research evidences indicate that the cyberbullying is both a social and healthcare issue. It can negatively impact the victim’s mental and psychological health, and lead to various mental healthcare issues. Therefore, from a healthcare perspective, adequate and appropriate policies should be designed and implemented to both tackle the problem and respond to the victim’s needs.

Cyberbullying & Mental Health

Cyberbullying is highly related to suicidal ideation and actual suicides. Many researches point that “the correlation between cyberbullying and suicide can be either direct or indirect” (Cook, 2020). “In the US, about 56% of teens have experienced some form of cyberbullying, and this phenomenon has been linked to the rise in suicide and self-harm cases amongst them” (Anderson, 2018). For instance, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) determined in a recent survey released in April 2020 that “suicide is the second-leading cause of death amongst people aged between 10 and 34 in the US” (Hedegaard et al 2020). Although the study results do not indicate that cyberbullying is a direct cause of these suicides, former researches have determined the assumption to be true (Cook, 2020). For instance, a 2018 research survey determined that “cyberbullying victims below 25 years old were twice more likely to engage in self-harm activities and suicide compared to the non-victims” (John, et al., 2018). Similar researches also suggest that females are more vulnerable to commit suicide than young males (Miron et al 2019). Generally, these researches suggest that cyberbullying forms like offensive name-calling, false rumors’ spreading, receiving explicit unsolicited images, cyber-stalking, etc. can lead to suicidal thoughts and eventual commission of the actual act. Cyberbullying may lead to significant psychological and emotional distress and other mental healthcare issues like low self-esteem, depression, fear, dissociation, anger and anxiety that may significantly affect a person’s health and wellbeing (Airov, 2017; Kwan, et al., 2020). Additionally, some of these victims may also experience negative feelings and unique feelings. Thus, if a victim is not resilient enough and does not receive enough support, they may eventually commit suicide and other self-harm activities.

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