Causes of Cyber-Bullying

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In today's day and age, social networking sites have taken over the internet. Sites such as MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr have linked people together in a way that was never thought possible. However, from all good comes bad, and from social networking sites the act of cyber bullying - bullying and harassing someone through the internet was born. Now, whether or not the websites are the cause of cyber bullying or not has become a rather controversial topic. Abraham Foxman and Cyndi Silverman, both part of the Anti-Defamation League, vehemently feel that these social networking sites spawned cyber bullying. On the other hand, Kate Harding, blogger and author, believes strongly that while they may be involved in cyber bullying, social networking sites are not to blame. While both articles address social networking sites and cyber bullying, they have very distinct differences.

Kate Harding's article Social Networking Sites Cannot Be Blamed For Bullying has a very distinct style to it. Being written by a blogger, Kate naturally put herself into the article, throwing her opinion around all over the place. At first glance, it seems unprofessional, even inappropriate. Meanwhile, Foxman and Silverman's article appears very professional. The authors never use the word "I" in their article, they write as a whole addressing everyone. They use very formal language and a serious manner. This in itself affects the credibility of both articles.

While Harding’s writing style may appear unprofessional, however, once you actually read through the article, her style of writing is actually very appealing. She connects with a reader in a way that makes the article relatable and keeps the reader intrigued. Even though her writing isn’t f...

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...rents need to act now and “ensure that those who would engage in harassment or bullying… will face real-world consequences for their actions.” This goes back to the bias of these two authors. They are so against social networking and modern technology that they believe drastic measures should be taken to stop the problem of cyber-bullying.

Harding’s article provides a solution as well. While she acknowledges the fact that social networking has changed the face of bullying, she still urges that it is not the creation of these websites that are causing harassment. In reality, it is the people using the websites who are the cause. Harding suggests that because “the internet isn’t going away anytime soon, the only option adults have is to try our best to prepare today’s kids for the world they live in (Harding)” and that is a world of cell phones, Facebook, and more.

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