Bullying is most commonly portrayed in cliche high school movies, and jokes are with friends about the online hate. No one really thinks about how powerful words can be and how easy it is to unintentionally harm someone online. Additionally, teens never stop to focus on the impact that bullying can have on someone else. Teenagers should address the effects of cyberbullying themselves, instead of being preached to by adults.

Even though teenagers have grown up with the phrase, ‘Treat others the way you want to be treated’ tattooed on their foreheads, it still has not reached the minds of many. Cyberbullying can lead to serious conditions such as anxiety, depression, loneliness, and unhappiness; as well as psychological, emotional and physical stress. Any word someone types with their keyboard anonymously to harm another can start a chain of negativity that is imprinted on the internet. The ones getting harmed tens to keep this to themselves, which can worsen developed disorders.

All the stress bullying causes can change a person. For example, it can affect their education, due to many absences from trying to avoid the bullies. It turns them quieter, which potentially leads to pushing people away isolating themselves, which can lead to a deep sense of loneliness. People do not focus enough on these situations to realize that someone might need help, or even just a few nice words said their way.

Most people sit and, ‘ignore it’, but those are usually the ones who have not fully gone through the experience. It is easy to ignore a few bad comments here and there, but in reality, some have gone as far as making fake accounts just to target specific people. Ignoring something as drastic as bullying is not easy task to fulfill. One needs a lot of support from friends or even adults who know that bullying is taking place. Yet, usually, it does not seem to be as common these days, the teens are simply told to ‘get over it’. Instead, we should realize that it might not be so simple for some people, and re-educate ourselves on the impact bullying has to support those who have been mildly affected.

People need to express their opinions, stories, and feelings about bullying and how it affects teenagers. The harsh words can lead to severe mental illnesses that no one believes are truly there. Furthermore, people need to support those who are being harmed by bullying, both online and at school.