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Unfortunately, with social networking comes cyber-bullying. Simply put, cyber-bullying involves spreading rumors or harassing a person online. It often comes in the form of hate comments, or if the bully is sneaky enough, messages. Even in services such as YouTube, cyber-bullying is very evident through the comments that people make. On Facebook, somebody can simply post rumors about a person to other people’s “walls”, and it soon spreads like wildfire. Yet, many people disregarded this issue until the loss of lives become the result.

Sadly, an estimated 1 out of 3 teens have been or are victims of cyber-bullying, according to Spero News. These include regular teens to celebrities. Some states have passed laws against cyber-bullying. Unfortunately, for the parents of those who committed suicide because of cyber-bullying, it was too little too late. The term “cyber bullycide” has been coined to describe these instances. Megan Heier, Ryan Patrick Halligan, and many others reveal the ugly side of social networking, these two teens are victims to cyber bullycide and took 

Despite the fact that yes, social networking does make communication faster, it has also become an avenue for people making others’ lives miserable. Unfortunately, for social networking, the bad and the ugly far outweigh the good.  If you are a victim of cyber bullying, report it to our school administration or police.  Do not be afraid to report it.  See your counselor, talk to your parnents, and solve this problem by working it out.  Taking your life is never the solution.

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