KUWAIT: For today’s teenagers, digital spaces have become an extension of their social world. Social media platforms, online gaming and instant messaging are integral aspects of their daily lives, shaping how they communicate, connect and express themselves. However, this digital landscape has also introduced new avenues for aggression and cruelty. Cyberbullying is a major problem, as it affects the mental health and school performance of teenagers. Cyberbullying comes in many different forms, the most popular of which are social media accounts with no name or any information that might reveal the identity of the owner of the account, and they target people who they do not like.

In most cases, they bully other teens by using a photo of them and writing a vague caption associated with the photo in the name of “making funny memes and jokes”, but it’s often without the permission of the teen in the photo. When the anonymous account owners are asked to take down the photos, they refuse to do so. “My life has been severely impacted by cyberbullying. I was stressed and anxious and could not concentrate on my studies. My grades went down due to online harassment and I pushed myself away from friends and family due to loneliness.

It took a lot of time to regain my confidence,” a victim of cyberbullying said. Cyberbullying even gets worse when other teenagers see the posts and start creating more stories, whether they are true or not. Often these stories spread to their school or places they visit, which creates another problem for them, as many people ask them about the rumors spreading about them, and they might not even be aware of them until someone tells them. Most victims of cyberbullying don’t want to speak up about the problems they are going through, as they are afraid that if they speak out, it might lead to more bullying.

As a result, teenagers feel hopeless and fall into depression. Kevin, who once ran a cyberbullying page that targeted his classmates and other students, said he was not afraid of bullying people online because they would not take any action to defend themselves or report it. If you are a victim of cyberbullying, you should consult an adult who can help you and report all the evidence of legal violations to the department of electronic and cyber crimes, which will investigate and determine the gravity of the information and take the necessary legal action. Call the emergency line at +96597283939 and you will be treated confidentially.