Tuesday, 02 April 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Experts said that cyberbullying can significantly impact the academic development of children. The said concern was raised by them following the analysis of a recent report released by the World Health Organisation (WHO), revealing that 15 per cent of boys and 16 per cent of girls have experienced bullying within recent months. The report also indicates that with increased online activity due to Covid-19 social distancing measures, children have become more vulnerable to cyberbullying during the pandemic. In light of these findings, experts have emphasised the importance of reducing smartphone usage to help prevent instances of cyberbullying.
A neuropsychologist Dr Sona Kaushal Gupta said that cyberbullying has unfortunately become a prevalent issue, particularly among children, representing a form of emotional abuse conducted online. The surge in phone usage among children has contributed to the rise in cyberbullying cases, which have detrimental effects on children’s mental health. “Low self-esteem, guilt and depression are among the primary consequences of cyberbullying on children. The person who has been cyberbullied may even be driven to harm themselves. In addition, academic performance, sleep disturbances and various other daily activities are affected by this,” she said.
She emphasized that in order to prevent cyberbullying, parents should restrict the use of smartphones by their children. Any behavioural changes in their children’s behaviour should be reported to a counsellor before the negative effects are experienced, she added.
Talking to The Pioneer, a clinical psychologist Dr Pratibha Sharma has expressed concern over the rising cases of cyberbullying among people, especially children. She highlighted that the usage of phones among children has increased after covid-19, which is the main cause of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying can have negative effects on children’s mental, emotional and physical health. They can suffer from aggression, upset and depression due to cyberbullying. So, it’s better to prevent children from being cyberbullied by limiting their use of smartphones and social media. She emphasised that parents should keep their children away from phones and engage them in other activities.
