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Stephen Harmon

Gardner

English 10 Honors, Period 0

29 October 2014

Stopping the Bully Inside of Us

Adroit colleagues, intellectual equals, fellow classmates, I must warn you of an oppressive

evil amongst you. “What is this heinous thing I speak of?” you may ask. This “thing” is called

cyberbullying. Cyberbullying has affected the lives of many and is growing, evolving, and becoming

more common amongst the public. Since the accessibility of the internet, cyberbullying has played an

imperative role in the social lives of teens. I personally know a few people who have been affected

by this catastrophic act. Atrocious, sadistic, and downright barbaric describe cyberbullying. It is an

act that only beasts commit. One tool many people use is Social Media like Facebook, Twitter, and

Pinterest. It is quite often that I see in my regular rituals involving Facebook and online surfing that I

come across people publicly addressing their disdain and profound disregard for another. It pains me

to see this.

I encourage you, the next time you're on Social Media, to locate cyberbullying, I assure you it

will not be difficult. “Over half (52 percent) of young people do not report being cyber bullied”

(Nobullying). According to “Nobullying.com” cyberbullying is quite popular. From jokes to teases,

from commenting to practical jokes, cyberbullying can appear in many different and disclosed ways.

The only way to impede this growing movement is to simply not encourage it. If you see

cyberbullying on Facebook and you simply ignore it thinking all is well and that it will soon resolve

itself, you are wrong. You must act, defend the defenseless. Contend with the culprit. Fight the fiend.

Stand up against cyberbullying, before cyberbullying stands up against you.

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Maybe it is easy for many to ignore cyberbullying. But when you have tasted the fear of

persecution; when you have felt like nobody cares about you, that you are worthless; when you cry

yourself to sleep because others wish you did not exist; when you walk into a cafeteria and realize

you have nowhere to sit because everybody else neglects you; when you look at a mirror and the face

you see has been told it is of no value; when you feel that a razor is your best friend because with

every cut it releases strong and overpowering emotions, intense pressures, and upsetting relationship

problems; most especially when you feel alone like there is nobody there for you—then you will not

stand idle, you will act.

The biggest difference I have found between cyberbullying and physical bullying is that

cyberbullying is what cowards do. “Only 1 in 10 teens tell a parent if they have been a cyberbully

victim” (Bullying Statistics). This quote emphasizes the idea that people will use cyberbullying

because they know that they most likely will not be caught. During cyberbullying an offender does

not have to face their victim, instead they can luxuriate in their own room. Here they do not have to

worry about seeing how their victim reacts. Cyberbullying is a shield for bullies. I can partially

understand why people might not embrace this idea, but trust me in the end you will be saving

feelings, energy, and lives. I cannot reiterate how much I support this cause and want you all to help

me and fight this great battle.

I admonish you, this battle we are going to fight is not merely a school assignment this is for

all the people in the world who are affected by cyberbullying. This movement will not be completed

in one week, or in a month, not even in one year, this cause will take a lifetime of everyday trying

harder to learn to accept everyone for who they are. We do not have to have the same beliefs to

accept one another. If you took a handful of M&M’s, all different colors, and pulled the outside

coating off, all of them would have chocolate underneath, this means that we are all the same. Now is

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the time to act my associates, rise up and embrace this cause. We will not only be making other’s

lives easier, but we can also save lives from suicide. So will you join me in this great cause?

Works Cited:

"Cyber Bullying Statistics." Bullying Statistics. N.p., 2013. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.

"Cyber Bullying Statistics 2014." Nobullying. N.p., 25 Oct. 2014. Web. 3 Nov. 2014.