So, that little “itch” I described earlier, do you still recall what I said about it? That drive, no matter how prominent or weak it is, is one of the ways cyberbullying starts.

As defined by an abstract submitted to the National Library of Medicine, cyberbullying is the act of intentionally subjecting someone online to digital cruelty. Although cyberbullying has the word “bullying” in it, this act lacks the proper physical characteristics that make bullying, well, bullying. 

First of all, it is done digitally or through online means, meaning that the majority of the cases of cyberbullying occur in the form of digitized text or media meant to torment a target. 

Since cyberbullying doesn’t really have any physical manifestations, this means that it claws at something intangible—the mental health of the victim.

So how exactly does cyberbullying wreak havoc on one’s mental health?

One such phenomenon that may alter one’s mental state in cyberbullying would be the occurrence of a power complex. This complex creates an imbalance of situational power, wherein the bully would possess more power than the victim to assert more control over the confrontation. 

Fueled by the ability to create anonymous accounts on the internet and the potential to influence a crowd to witness or join in the conversation, this creates a depressing scenario that drives the victim into a proverbial corner.

As the imbalance tips closer to the bully’s side, the victim receives a lot of emotional burdens caused by the lack of equalized conversation and peer pressure from potentially toxic audiences.

This social pressure may then bleed into another effect cyberbullying may have on its victims: the exacerbation of preexisting mental complications.

Let’s say a netizen suddenly gets involved in a flurry of online harassment. If they have mild or close to no mental issues, then this irritating occurrence would simply be some sort of aggravation or pestilence to them at most. 

But what if the victim already has mental issues that steadily gnaw away at their psyche on a daily? That would be a different tale to tell, since this new addition to the mix of violent emotions one may feel amid the unwarranted stress. 

According to Ybarra and Mitchell, who are two researchers who wrote articles detailing the behavior of adolescents online, state that the rates of stress, depression, and anxiety rise in victims who experience online harassment. 

The researchers add that dropping out of school, using illegal substances, and displaying delinquent behaviors are just some of the negative outcomes students resort to from cyberbullying. 

To illustrate how this all correlates to worsened mental health, allow yourselves to imagine this scenario: One day, you decide to wear a shirt that you assumed was fine to use. As you go about your daily activities, you are too busy to realize that there was actually a small tear on the hem of the shirt. 

The stress and frequent movement you undergo throughout the day worsen the tear until it becomes virtually impossible to mend with just needles and thread.

Although it is a bit oversimplified, that is basically the gist of how cyberbullying hacks away at the mentalities of its victims.

It may seem a bit overkill to always remember the grander scheme of things on the internet when we use it all the time, but this is the frank reality that many victims of cyberbullying face nowadays. 

That little scoff of a comment you left on some random person’s unpopular opinion on Twitter? Yeah, that can leave a mark on a person in one way or another.

“Oh, well, a bit of harshness builds character over time, right? Maybe we could let some parts of the harassment slide…”

The honest answer to that statement? No, we cannot allow any degree of cyberbullying to slide off cleanly. Cyberbullying is still a kind of bullying, meaning that it is still a distasteful attack on the being of a person. 

With the existence of reposts, quote posts, and discussion panels, the aftermath of a serious cyberbullying incident could still echo months after the event took place, and that will not help the victim in the healing process.

And no, even if you use this act to quote-unquote “put someone in their place,” it is still, at its core, a malicious activity that aims to only breed more anger and cruelty. Real justice against wrongdoers is served directly and sharply but with dignity and understanding.

As responsible netizens, we ought to be more careful and mindful of whatever we let loose on the internet, for we never know who this information may reach and how they will react to it. There are no ifs or buts when the damage has already been dealt.

Let’s choose kindness over cruelty, and always wonder what would happen after we hit enter.