Handling Cyberbullying in the Classroom

(Image credit: Image by Hatice EROL from Pixabay )

    Cyberbullying has been a festering problem as technology and social media expand. I remember watching an episode of Black Mirror, titled “Nosedive” where society functioned off of liking and rating other people (Booker, 2019). You had to be likable and conform to the specifics of society to advance in life (Booker, 2019). Things like renting an apartment or moving up in your job were all determined by your rating (Booker, 2019). Authenticity was rare; everyone said and did whatever they needed to move further up the social ladder. If you did not conform to this mold, you were chastised (Booker, 2019). This concept is displayed in today's society as well. 

In the film Dark Cloud: The High Cost of Cyberbullying there are clips of Tik Toks talking about different experiences with cyberbullying (Dupej, 2020). One clip mentions how people on social media bully others “because they don’t meet their expectations” (Dupej, 2020). This idea goes hand in hand with the concept the black mirror episode was portraying. If you don't meet another person's expectations, you become open to criticism. The idea of someone being subjected to unprompted criticism for living is a significant part of our society. Social media and the internet seem to amplify this subjugation. Not only do your internet “friends” have the ability to interact with what you're doing, but many social media platforms allow anyone to interact with posts. Social media is also at our fingertips and follows people everywhere. The combination of mass consumption and accessibility can create an overwhelming inflow of subjective criticism that feels inescapable. Cyberbullying is common and prevalent today (Klein, 2020).

Roughly a third of middle and high school students in the U.S. reported dealing with cyberbullying at least once a week (Klein, 2020). As an aspiring teacher, understanding my students outside the classroom is important. What happens outside the classroom will affect them inside the classroom. I need to stay up to date with technological advancements and social media for my students (Stopbullying.gov Ed Board, 2020). I also need to monitor my students' behaviors and moods. Change in behaviors or mood can be a warning sign that cyberbullying is occurring (Stopbullying.gov Ed Board, 2020). My future classroom will be less traditional because I am becoming an art teacher. I will have a larger pool of students I come into contact with, but a personal creative element in my classroom gives me a different perspective on my students. I love the opportunity for my students to be able to express themselves if their words fail. Art critiques are typically a part of art class. Art is subjective. This gives me the opportunity to discuss differences in opinion, and relate critiques to real life. I want to build a positive and uplifting classroom. But more than that, I want to teach kids empathy, and hopefully minimize the number of bullies that come out of my classroom. 

References

Brooker, Charlie. (2019). Nosedive (season 3, episode 1). https://www.netflix.com/search?q=black%20m&jbv=70264888

Dupej, H. & Embry, M. (2020). Dark cloud: The high cost of cyberbullying. TELUS Wise

Klein, A. (2020, November 18). Cyberbullying On the Rise in U.S. Schools, Federal Report Finds. Education Week. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from https://www.edweek.org/leadership/cyberbullying-on-the-rise-in-u-s-schools-federal-report-finds/2019/07

Stopbullying.gov Ed Board. (2020, March 26). Social emotional learning helps prevent bullying. Stop Bullying.Gov. https://www.stopbullying.gov/blog/2020/03/25/social-emotional-learning-helps-prevent-bullying

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