Our Online World : An Overview of Cyberbullying Issues from 2009-2019

Abstract

From the creation of the world wide web, our society has quickly woven the internet into our everyday lives. While it provides countless resources, the internet has also become a tool for those who seek to put others down. "Cyberbullying" emerged as a real issue that has finally begun to be addressed in the past years. We studied many aspects of cyberbullying and the effects it has on individuals. As its prevalence grew, cyberbullying became illegal in many states. Seeking to truly find if the internet has "destroyed the minds of a generation" and if cyberbullying has gotten worse, we looked at the changes in apps, laws, and effects (depression and suicide rates) over the span of a decade. Our analysis shows that cyberbullying is an issue, but that it is no more prevalent than bullying itself, and the internet should not take the brunt of the blame. We aim to educate on cyberbullying with facts and provide an empirically backed explanation for the trends of the time.