Every photo, message or location we post on social networks offers information to assemble the puzzle of our lives. Much of the data we upload on the Internet is innocent to most people, but what if someone wants to use it against us?
Privacy is one of the most common concerns for many internet users right now. After seeing the impact of the internet and technology on our lives, some have decided to keep a lower profile, to not be easily found and to avoid cyberbullying. Others share every detail of their lives, creating a virtual diary that can be read by anyone who wants to access it.
The use of digital technologies to harass is very common these days. Some of the most frequent forms include repetitive messages, hateful comments, sexual harassment, threats, embarrassing publications, impersonation, spreading lies, among others.
Cyberbullying can affect a person on different levels by making them feel unsafe. The impact is emotional, physical and mental. In some cases, it crosses a line that leads a person to try to take his or her own life. That is why it is necessary to seek help in time, to regain confidence and deal with the situation with the right tools.
The You series by Netflix, reveals the mind of a stalker and exposes some obvious facts that we often don’t think about. Social networks are full of lies and appearances, but a person only needs to know how to search for patterns that can lead to valuable information, and that’s the specialty of Joe, the main character in You.
The series You, the film Unsane and some other productions that focus on harassment highlight how certain information can make victims of stalking vulnerable and even have devastating consequences, undermining their self-esteem.
It is difficult to find the boundary between what it means to share the right amount of personal information. Furthermore, any one piece of personal information can make us the recipient of abusive behavior. Although at the time of being a victim of cyberbullying, it is recommended to stay away from social networks, our life cannot change radically either, we must just look for practices that do not facilitate the work of a possible person interested in bullying.
The pictures we upload can reveal the places we frequent, the exact address where we are at a particular time, or even where we live. Some experts point out that fingerprints can be obtained with the advance of technologies, through a photograph showing the inside of the hand.
Also, data such as phone numbers and birthdays can make someone a victim of a hacker. This can provide access to a large amount of personal information, allowing impersonation to steal money or to damage someone’s image.
According to Statista, 6% of internet users around the world have suffered from hacking into their accounts. The study also reveals that women are more susceptible to being victims of harassment and its psychological impact includes low self-esteem, panic attacks, depression and sleep deprivation.
The most frequent types of bullying are related to false rumors, offenses and unwanted explicit images, which in many cases are enhanced by anonymity. Many women now feel strong enough to take action, such as blocking the aggressor’s account or protecting their rights against abusive behavior, for example; according to Statista 22% of women try to find the perpetrator with the help of the platform they use.
The Cyberbullying Research Centre shows that there is a more pronounced tendency of abuse being committed against women of a different skin color, demonstrating gender and cultural prejudices. According to the figures they handle of every 1000 victims, 210 are multiracial girls.
Every day, people are exposed from a very young age to a virtual world, and the development of technologies has allowed harassment to evolve along with social media and different platforms. Global awareness of cyberbullying, action by businesses and institutions, offering help to victims and greater care about what we share could be the key to debilitating these groups of bullies. Some measures are already being taken in certain countries, but there is still a long way to go.
Image credit: William Iven