Is Your Child Aware Of Cyber Bullying?

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

"LOSER, LOSER!"

"Sonu! You just said a bad word to your friend. Let's say sorry!"

Roshni told her 12-year-old son who was busy in playing video games with his friends.

"But Mom! We are friends. We are just joking! Just for fun, we tease each other like this. Come on, its game time!" Sonu replied, avoiding Roshni.

"Son! Be it a friend or a stranger, whoever it is. 'Just for fun' you can't tease anybody just like that. Please know that you need to use internet responsibly. It is not right to say bad words or tease anybody online or offline. Maybe he or she is in good mood today. What if he or she feels bad tomorrow about this. Do you want that to happen, or do you want to lose your friends in the process?" Roshni explained calmly.

"No Mom! I would not like this. But we always comment on each other like this, about something or the other... Is this wrong?"

" OK! Tell me, would you like yourself if someone repeatedly teases or bullies you?"

"No Mom! I will not like it at all"

"Yes son! This is called cyber bullying. Which means, when you disturb each other in the virtual world, which can be very deadly and harmful in every manner to someone. Neither should we do anything nor encourage such behavior of anyone else".  Roshni told him.

"Sorry mom! We won't do anything like this from now on ... Promise!"

The internet is for our convenience and perhaps in today's environment we cannot even imagine without the internet.  But what is necessary is, is to use the power that comes with responsibility.  Nowadays cyber bullying is spreading its havoc. Innocent children are falling prey to it, sometimes gradually, and without even knowing about it. We proudly say that our five-year-old daughter or son is adept at running the Internet, but is he aware of the vicious tricks that hide behind the curtains of the Internet that could attack young children? Usually children do not understand and start getting stressed.  Nowadays it has been seen that this tension increases so much that even small children take steps till suicide or at time suffer from stubbornness, irritability, mood swings.  There are many games available on the internet that are increasing their aggressive attitude and it looks like a plot to ruin the younger generation.

Increasing use of smart phones and increasing penetration of children on social networking sites especially teen-age children and women are falling prey to these bullies.  Indecent comments on photos and posts, or tampering. Sometimes the abuse reaches the abusive galls which makes us mentally disturbed.  We may not stop using the internet, but children below the age of fourteen years should take special care, such as not opening social media accounts in early age would be a sensible step.  If it is, then keep an eye on the comments separately, not spying but with love.  Sit with children and explain them by giving examples.  Do not let any stranger play with your little innocent's mind.  Explain to them that if someone once says such a provocative thing then ignite it because they want that we get irritated and they should take this process forward.  If all this is happening, then please complain to the police. Cyber bullying also comes under cybercrime, so you must report the wrong and save more people from them.

Let us try to keep the Internet world neat and clean and maintain a healthy environment for ourselves and others. Let’s not treat anyone in an abusive manner, nor let anyone do it.  Let’s take care of our children's childhoods not to get lost somewhere in the virtual world.

Sushma Tiwari is a Writer, Blogger, and Author. She is the Brand ambassador at Paperwiff a multilingual writing community. Join her on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Found this article useful? Read more blogs at www.themomstore.in 

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are the personal views of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of The Mom Store