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Cyberbullying is a type of harassment that takes place over the internet Pretty typical in this day and age. Everybody is susceptible to cyberbullying, from young people in high schools to internationally renowned superstars. It is time to discuss how it affects one’s mental health as a result.
Cyberbullying is when someone spreads false information about another person online to make that person look bad. Online bullying and harassment are easy to spot. Someone could spread wrong information about you online, threaten you, make sexual remarks, distribute your private information or images to third parties without your permission, or use hate speech.
And other times, it could be more difficult to detect cyberbullying. especially if you know someone well is performing it. For instance, if you ask someone to stop sending you emails or texts and they keep doing so. Or someone keeps making personal remarks.
Here’s how cyberbullying can impact mental health
Causes PTSD, anxiety, and depression
Depression and cyberbullying are related because of the trauma the victim experiences. A victim of cyberbullying may experience anxiety and lose interest in previously enjoyed activities. After a cyberbullying incident, depression can affect energy levels, sleep patterns, and eating habits. There may be situations where the victim’s brain recalls the terrible experience, triggering a stress response and PTSD. This occurs because the brain may constantly release stress hormones, causing the person to repeatedly relive the unpleasant incident. A victim of this increased sensory overload may get overwhelmed, have a flood of unfavourable ideas, and have trouble controlling their emotions.
Reduces sense of self
Cyberbullied individuals could form a bad opinion of themselves. Trauma impairs confidence levels and decision-making skills since the brain’s protection mechanism kicks in and causes one to mistrust their ability. decisions making about things like what to eat for dinner or what to wear might be challenging for some people. This is a sign of decreased control and is followed by a generalized lethargy spell that prevents victims from getting out of bed or taking a shower.
Manifests suicidal thoughts
There may also be instances where sufferers have suicidal thoughts or consider killing themselves physically. They are extreme symptoms that are uncommon and necessitate rapid medical intervention.
Signs of cyberbullying
Although some children may not exhibit any symptoms of cyberbullying, experts encourage parents to keep an eye out for substantial changes in their child’s routines or behavior.
For instance, monitoring social media more often than normal could indicate a problem.
Asking your child about their knowledge about cyberbullying and whether they have ever experienced it will help you maintain a line of communication.
The following modifications in a youngster could be signs of cyberbullying:
nightmares,
difficulties sleeping
Absenteeism from school,
feeling powerless,
a lack of self-worth,
and headaches
Adults may also observe emotional signs like:
anxiety
embarrassment
frustration
the youngster is unable to express their emotions in words.
The youngster is more likely to report general physical health issues as opposed to expressing emotion as they get younger. Because they don’t have a way to express these unfamiliar and uncomfortable emotions, some kids may become angry.
Recognizing aggressive acts that are unusual for a person could indicate problems with cyberbullying.
What are the steps that I can take?
there are steps that can take to deal with the situation:
Seek out for assistance: If you are feeling difficulty as a result of cyberbullying, reach out to a trusted friend, family member, or even an adult who can help you deal with the matter.
the tools and technology cut off to stop the bully: You can block another user in the majority of social networking apps and sites. You can also use them to report offensive online conduct or content.
To report cyberbullying, online harassment, and cyberdefamation, particularly against women and children, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has established a helpline (complaint-mwcd@gov.in). the victim can report cyberbullying to the Women Development Cell (WDC) at the majority of colleges and institutions.
Password-protect your phone so that no one can use it to impersonate you, and don’t disclose your passwords to anyone, not even your closest friends
How to prevent cyberbullying
Cyberbullying: Discuss cyberbullying with a parent or guardian and only accept friend requests from people you know or network her friend requests. If cyberbullying has an influence on you, think about the following coping mechanisms:
- Avoid giving a direct response to or taking offense to cyber bully since the bully may be looking for a response like that.
- If necessary, inform parents, schools, or law enforcement about cyberbullying.
- Block anyone acting suspiciously from your online accounts, including cyberbullies.
- Shut off your social media. Taking a pause can help you see things more clearly and reduce stress.
If you are looking for “online counselling” for the treatment of counselling online any mental health disorder then you can contact to TalktoAngel.
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