Young people today are using the internet more than ever. They view the internet and even more so the mobile phones as positive aspects of our society. The internet and mobile phones systems are the two biggest systems of communication which play a crucial role in our daily activities and development of identities. On the other hand, these same technologies are also often used negatively. Many children are the targets of bullying via the internet or mobile phones resulting in total confusion on the part of the “target”. Very often, children are not able to understand that what they are going through is a form of bullying. As a result, the previously safe environment of the internet is now becoming a source of confusion and anxiety.

There is no denying that technology is playing an increasingly important role in the lives of young people. However, for some young people, the Net is a vehicle for bullying and sexual harassment. Not only common people, but even the famous and powerful are equally a victim of this.Cyberbullying also can happen accidentally. The impersonal nature of text messages, IMs, and emails make it very hard to detect the sender’s tone — one person’s joke could be another’s hurtful insult. Nevertheless, a repeated pattern of emails, texts, and online posts is rarely accidental. The Internet offers a place where some users feel anonymous and take advantage by hurling abuses and expletives on others. This is not a new phenomenon but a new medium has been provided by the social media websites like Facebook, twitter and WhatsApp which amplified the bullying.

In many ways cyberbullying has democratized bullying, because you don’t have to be able to physically overpower your victim—a person can simply log on, create a new identity, and bully away the others.

There are signs that one may notice who are victims of cyberbullying

• Change in personality
• Change in or loss of friends
• Drop in grades
• Increased isolation

Technology is a neutral concept, and it is the people who decide the means and uses for it. Technology isn’t the enemy here, and neither is Facebook or text messaging. It’s the people behind them which send the messages. But, this medium seems to have empowered wrong people.

Internet trolling or Social media bullying has more than one definition and can be defined as “when the Internet, cell phones or other devices are used to send or post text or images intended to hurt or embarrass another person”

In the 21st century, Internet has penetrated into every corner of the society there by narrowing the borders of the countries and thus it is a global phenomenon

With the prevalence of social media and digital forums, comments, photos, posts, and content shared by individuals can often be viewed by strangers as well as acquaintances. The content an individual share online – both their personal content as well as any negative, mean, or hurtful content – creates a kind of permanent public record of their views, activities, and behavior. This public record can be thought of as an online reputation, which may be accessible to schools, employers, colleges, clubs, and others who may be researching an individual now or in the future.

Cyberbullying can harm the online reputations of everyone involved – not just the person being bullied, but those doing the bullying or participating in it. Cyberbullying has unique concerns in that it can be:
Persistent – Digital devices offer an ability to immediately and continuously communicate 24 hours a day, so it can be difficult for children experiencing cyberbullying to find relief.
Permanent – Most information communicated electronically is permanent and public, if not reported and removed. A negative online reputation, including for those who bully, can impact college admissions, employment, and other areas of life.
Hard to Notice – Because teachers and parents may not overhear or see cyberbullying taking place, it is harder to recognize.