The earliest cases of cyberbullying were in 2007 when a 13-year-old girl named Megan Meier died by suicide. Megan was bullied continuously by a fake, profiled Josh Evans, and it was her neighbors started that profile. The mainstream media at that point began reporting more teen suicides, and cyberbullying at that point was brought to many internet users' attention due to its toll on victims' mental and physical health. Stomach and headaches issues have been common effects observed in the victims. There are long-term effects of depression, anxiety, and fear for those experiencing cyberbullying. Cyberbullying affects many lives and must be deleted from society, boosting an individual's self-confidence and making the world a better/safer place. 

Cyberbullying begins with either a group or a person sending intimidating messages, posting embarrassing images, spreading gossip online, hacking, catfishing, or threat calling. People who are insecure with themselves choose to inflict their pain onto others. It is essential to delete cyberbullying because of its impact on society, young teens, and people as a whole. This impact includes isolation from family events, withdrawal from peers, and feeling alone. Some experiencing cyberbullying tend to develop physical health problems of binge or eating less, insomnia as a coping mechanism. According to (ScienceDirect 2019), "cyberbullied victims generally manifest psychological problems such as depression, loneliness, low self-esteem, school phobias, and social anxiety." They can lead to smoking, drinking, and poor academic performance. Cyberbullying can lead to suicide, which then leaves their family in despair. This way of virtual bullying is killing lives and destroying young minds. 

To delete cyberbullying, we must prevent it from occurring by not being silent, reporting it, and spreading awareness. It starts with identifying the victims, establishing healthy relationships with peers or parents, understanding what it is, emphasizing positivity, and reporting it. People who know someone experiencing cyberbullying can be listeners, help restore their self-esteem, remind them who they are, empower their mindset, and provide resources to help. Victims of cyberbullying, especially teens, might be too afraid to explain to their parents what's going on. Parents need "to be involved in their children's lives and get to know their friends" and have open conversations about the internet, consequences, and bullying (Prevent Cyberbullying, health.harvard.edu). Spreading awareness about cyberbullying, speaking up, reporting, and listening to the bullied is how cyberbullying will decrease. 

Cyberbullying continues to claim more lives and is a threat in the digital world. It must be prevented by each internet user understanding its origins and how they can play an active role in deleting cyberbullying. We must not be bystanders when witnessing bullying and instead speak up. Reporting cyberbullying is spreading awareness and bringing it to an authority's attention. The act of helping those who are going through cyberbullying can save lives. It is time for us to stand against cyberbullying and do our part in ensuring the internet is a safe place for visitors to use. How many more lives does it take before we can work together in decreasing cyberbullying cases? 

Sources: 

sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844018359474

health.harvard.edu/preventing-cyberbullying