Technology has evolved over the years rather rapidly. We have witnessed the growth of social media platforms such as Facebook gain an enormous number of users. People are now able to share so much without the task of physically meeting, from photos to videos, locations, and documents, thus easing their lives. Unfortunately, every good thing has a drawback. Cybercrime has grown rampantly as internet users continued to increase. This essay describes some of the effects of cyberbullying on social media.
Platforms online require one to give certain information to access their services. Personal details shared as one is signing up. For example, credit and debit card information, email addresses, and even their physical home addresses expose people to identity theft.
Identity theft is a fraudulent practice by cybercriminals, where they use one's identity deliberately mostly for their financial gain. Cybercriminals use one's debit or credit benefits to maybe purchase different products or services through their social media platforms. The owners of these credit cards are, therefore, prone to a lot of loss not only financially but also legally if their information is used to perform illegal activities.
Secondly, cyberbullying. This is the act of sending intimidating messages to tease another person through electronic communication, including social media platforms. Cyberbullying is majorly reported amongst young adults. It is persistent, permanent, and very hard to notice if one does not come out for help. The information being surfaced is mostly mean, negative, hurtful, exaggerated, and false. They are available for view by so many people online, making it even harder for the victim to deal with the ridicule.
Diverse effects face those who are being bullied online as they see themselves unworthy and at fault. This, therefore, expose them to contraction of mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety and ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Self-body shame is also common if the comments online are about the victims' appearance.
Furthermore, businesses face a lot of financial risks if their information security is not reinforced. Business passwords, codes, and documents are very crucial to any company, and any chance that this information lands on the wrong hands, the company is as good as dead. Employees are, therefore, warned to be cautious of what they share on social media platforms as predators, who are cybercriminals, are always ready to feast.
Precaution is, therefore, very important while using social media, and they should be adhered to, safeguard one against fraudsters and bullies online. These are some of the precautions different fields should adapt to secure themselves.
Employees should be governed on what is not to be shared about the company and major consequences like probation from work or even termination of their contracts. Some companies have put down rules that no employee should be operating their smartphones or their social media handles on company computers to protect against intrusion of the companies privacy.
In-home setups, parents or guardians should create a positive living space for their growing children as if this is done, and it is very easy to notice a change in mood or behavior of the child. Statistics prove that children raised in homes where freedom of expression is allowed, they speak up on what their struggles might. In this case, if they were being bullied, it would be almost obvious that they would talk about it with an adult who would then take rightful measures unlike in a home where no one is keen on what goes on in the child’s life.
Moreover, monitoring online activities for young people could save parents a lot of damage. Controlling what they can access on the internet not only keeps them away from getting themselves into websites and content they are not ready for, but also gives peace of mind to the parent.
It is advised that every individual customize security settings while setting up accounts on social media and to constantly check time after time to protect one-self from landing victim to identity theft. Passwords are discouraged from being shared with friends through these platforms, as cybercriminals can easily hack text conversations. Do not share your credit or debit card information online to avoid fraud as well.
In conclusion, a lot of caution and care should be the discipline of using social media platforms to avoid falling victim to any form of cybercrime.
