It starts small. A comment under a post. A joke that’s not funny. Someone shares a photo with the wrong caption. And then it spreads. The words pile up, sharper than knives, heavier than stones. Someone laughs. Someone else joins in. Before long, it’s a flood.
The victim stays quiet. Maybe they delete the post. Maybe they don’t. Maybe they try to fight back, but the words keep coming. They check their phone. Their hands shake. Their stomach turns. They can’t sleep. They stop speaking as much. Maybe they stop posting altogether.
The bullies don’t stop. They thrive on silence. They thrive on the fact that no one steps in. “It’s just the internet,” they say. Just words on a screen. But the damage is real. People have ended their lives over this.
Numbers don’t lie
Online bullying is a growing crisis. According to a 2023 UNICEF report, one in three young people worldwide has faced online bullying. In India, it’s worse. A 2022 McAfee survey found 85% of children there have faced cyberbullying—the highest rate amongst 10 surveyed countries.
Cyberbullying cases in India have nearly tripled in the last five years, according to the Internet and Mobile Association of India.
The National Crime Records Bureau shows a 36% rise in cyber harassment cases targeting minors. And perhaps the most chilling stat comes from the Journal of Adolescent Health, revealing that victims of online bullying are twice as likely to consider suicide.
Dr. Sameer Hinduja, a leading researcher on cyberbullying, emphasises the devastating psychological toll of online harassment. His studies show that bullying on digital platforms is not just harmful in the moment but can cause long-term emotional and mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and feelings of hopelessness.
Real people, real pain
Take Rebecca Sedwick, 12, from Florida. A group of girls targeted her with hateful messages. It wore her down until she ended her life in 2013. Her story sparked a national conversation about the deadly consequences of cyberbullying.
Then there’s Tyler Clementi, a Rutgers student. His room-mate secretly filmed and streamed Tyler’s intimate moment. The video went viral, and the humiliation was too much. Tyler took his life in 2010.
These are not isolated cases. Research from the Cyberbullying Research Center in the U.S. says 37% of students aged 12-17 have been bullied online, and 30% admit to bullying others. In the UK, over half of young people aged 13-18 report cyberbullying, and 70% say it significantly affected their mental health.
Dr. Justin W. Patchin, co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center, explains that the anonymity of the internet encourages bullies. Without face-to-face interaction, they feel emboldened to say things they would never say in person. This often leads to more harmful behavior, knowing their actions have no immediate consequences.
A boy at school, bright and full of life, until someone makes a fake account in his name. They post offensive comments, send inappropriate messages. He tries to explain, but no one listens. His classmates believe the lies, not him.
A girl gets messages telling her she’s worthless, that she should disappear. She deletes the app, but she checks it anyway. The words stick. Haunting her at night. She stops eating. Stops talking. One day, she stops showing up at school.
A man loses his job because someone spread a rumour online. He doesn’t know where it started, but it won’t go away. No one wants to hire someone with a ruined reputation.
It’s all fun until it isn’t. Until someone stops leaving the house. Stops believing they matter. Stops wanting to exist.
Why is it so easy?
The internet makes cruelty effortless. No faces, no voices—just words. Words that cut, destroy. Anonymity gives people courage—the wrong kind. It turns them into something they wouldn’t dare be in real life.
Imagine walking into a room full of strangers, hearing whispers, snickers, people turning their backs. Imagine sitting at a table, someone slides their chair away. Imagine raising your hand in class and hearing laughter before you’ve even spoken.
That’s what online bullying feels like. Except it doesn’t stop when the bell rings. It follows you home. It’s in your pocket. In your bed. In your mind.
Some say, “Just turn it off.” Log out, delete the app, put the phone down. But it’s not that simple. The damage doesn’t end when the screen goes dark. The words echo. The shame lingers. And even if you step away, the rumours, the posts, the comments—they’re still there. They spread without you.
The cost of silence
The bullies rarely face consequences. They hide behind screens, behind fake names. They post and move on. They laugh with friends. They feel no guilt, no remorse. They call it “just a joke.” They say the victim is “too sensitive.” They justify it a hundred different ways. But in the end, it’s cruelty. Plain and simple.
And people watch. They scroll past. Some like the comments, some share them. Some feel bad but don’t say anything.
Silence is part of the problem.
What can be done?
There are laws. In India, cyberbullying is covered under the IT Act, 2000, and sections 507 and 509 of the IPC. Harassment, defamation, and cyberstalking can lead to jail time. But the internet moves faster than justice. Even when one case is resolved, a thousand others are just beginning.
Dr. Albano, an expert in digital behavior, suggests that prevention and intervention are key. He advocates for stronger laws and for parents and schools to step in earlier, providing both support and protection to those at risk. So what can we do?
Schools need to talk about it more. Not just in assemblies or awareness campaigns, but in everyday conversations.
Parents need to listen—really listen—to their kids. Not dismiss their fears as “just online drama.”
Friends need to stand up when they see someone being targeted. Bullies thrive on an audience. Take that away.
Social media platforms need stronger protections, faster responses. Reporting a post shouldn’t take days. A victim shouldn’t have to beg to have hateful content removed.
We need to remember, behind every screen, there’s a person. A real person. Someone who feels pain like we do.
If you see it happening, say something. Report the post. Message the person being targeted and let them know they’re not alone. If you’re the one being bullied, tell someone. Don’t keep it inside.
And if you’ve ever been the bully, ever left a cruel comment, shared a harmful post, laughed at someone else’s expense—think about it. Think about what it would feel like if it were you. If it were your sister, your brother, your friend. Think about whether that one moment of amusement was worth someone else’s suffering.
The internet is powerful. It can build or destroy.
We decide which one it does.
So choose wisely. Choose kindness. Be the reason someone feels safe, not the reason they don’t.
The author is an educator and columnist, and writes about literary fiction and reflective articles on society and culture.
It starts small. A comment under a post. A joke that’s not funny. Someone shares a photo with the wrong caption. And then it spreads. The words pile up, sharper than knives, heavier than stones. Someone laughs. Someone else joins in. Before long, it’s a flood.
The victim stays quiet. Maybe they delete the post. Maybe they don’t. Maybe they try to fight back, but the words keep coming. They check their phone. Their hands shake. Their stomach turns. They can’t sleep. They stop speaking as much. Maybe they stop posting altogether.
The bullies don’t stop. They thrive on silence. They thrive on the fact that no one steps in. “It’s just the internet,” they say. Just words on a screen. But the damage is real. People have ended their lives over this.
Numbers don’t lie
Online bullying is a growing crisis. According to a 2023 UNICEF report, one in three young people worldwide has faced online bullying. In India, it’s worse. A 2022 McAfee survey found 85% of children there have faced cyberbullying—the highest rate amongst 10 surveyed countries.
Cyberbullying cases in India have nearly tripled in the last five years, according to the Internet and Mobile Association of India.
The National Crime Records Bureau shows a 36% rise in cyber harassment cases targeting minors. And perhaps the most chilling stat comes from the Journal of Adolescent Health, revealing that victims of online bullying are twice as likely to consider suicide.
Dr. Sameer Hinduja, a leading researcher on cyberbullying, emphasises the devastating psychological toll of online harassment. His studies show that bullying on digital platforms is not just harmful in the moment but can cause long-term emotional and mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and feelings of hopelessness.
Real people, real pain
Take Rebecca Sedwick, 12, from Florida. A group of girls targeted her with hateful messages. It wore her down until she ended her life in 2013. Her story sparked a national conversation about the deadly consequences of cyberbullying.
Then there’s Tyler Clementi, a Rutgers student. His room-mate secretly filmed and streamed Tyler’s intimate moment. The video went viral, and the humiliation was too much. Tyler took his life in 2010.
These are not isolated cases. Research from the Cyberbullying Research Center in the U.S. says 37% of students aged 12-17 have been bullied online, and 30% admit to bullying others. In the UK, over half of young people aged 13-18 report cyberbullying, and 70% say it significantly affected their mental health.
Dr. Justin W. Patchin, co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center, explains that the anonymity of the internet encourages bullies. Without face-to-face interaction, they feel emboldened to say things they would never say in person. This often leads to more harmful behavior, knowing their actions have no immediate consequences.
A boy at school, bright and full of life, until someone makes a fake account in his name. They post offensive comments, send inappropriate messages. He tries to explain, but no one listens. His classmates believe the lies, not him.
A girl gets messages telling her she’s worthless, that she should disappear. She deletes the app, but she checks it anyway. The words stick. Haunting her at night. She stops eating. Stops talking. One day, she stops showing up at school.
A man loses his job because someone spread a rumour online. He doesn’t know where it started, but it won’t go away. No one wants to hire someone with a ruined reputation.
It’s all fun until it isn’t. Until someone stops leaving the house. Stops believing they matter. Stops wanting to exist.
Why is it so easy?
The internet makes cruelty effortless. No faces, no voices—just words. Words that cut, destroy. Anonymity gives people courage—the wrong kind. It turns them into something they wouldn’t dare be in real life.
Imagine walking into a room full of strangers, hearing whispers, snickers, people turning their backs. Imagine sitting at a table, someone slides their chair away. Imagine raising your hand in class and hearing laughter before you’ve even spoken.
That’s what online bullying feels like. Except it doesn’t stop when the bell rings. It follows you home. It’s in your pocket. In your bed. In your mind.
Some say, “Just turn it off.” Log out, delete the app, put the phone down. But it’s not that simple. The damage doesn’t end when the screen goes dark. The words echo. The shame lingers. And even if you step away, the rumours, the posts, the comments—they’re still there. They spread without you.
The cost of silence
The bullies rarely face consequences. They hide behind screens, behind fake names. They post and move on. They laugh with friends. They feel no guilt, no remorse. They call it “just a joke.” They say the victim is “too sensitive.” They justify it a hundred different ways. But in the end, it’s cruelty. Plain and simple.
And people watch. They scroll past. Some like the comments, some share them. Some feel bad but don’t say anything.
Silence is part of the problem.
What can be done?
There are laws. In India, cyberbullying is covered under the IT Act, 2000, and sections 507 and 509 of the IPC. Harassment, defamation, and cyberstalking can lead to jail time. But the internet moves faster than justice. Even when one case is resolved, a thousand others are just beginning.
Dr. Albano, an expert in digital behavior, suggests that prevention and intervention are key. He advocates for stronger laws and for parents and schools to step in earlier, providing both support and protection to those at risk. So what can we do?
Schools need to talk about it more. Not just in assemblies or awareness campaigns, but in everyday conversations.
Parents need to listen—really listen—to their kids. Not dismiss their fears as “just online drama.”
Friends need to stand up when they see someone being targeted. Bullies thrive on an audience. Take that away.
Social media platforms need stronger protections, faster responses. Reporting a post shouldn’t take days. A victim shouldn’t have to beg to have hateful content removed.
We need to remember, behind every screen, there’s a person. A real person. Someone who feels pain like we do.
If you see it happening, say something. Report the post. Message the person being targeted and let them know they’re not alone. If you’re the one being bullied, tell someone. Don’t keep it inside.
And if you’ve ever been the bully, ever left a cruel comment, shared a harmful post, laughed at someone else’s expense—think about it. Think about what it would feel like if it were you. If it were your sister, your brother, your friend. Think about whether that one moment of amusement was worth someone else’s suffering.
The internet is powerful. It can build or destroy.
We decide which one it does.
So choose wisely. Choose kindness. Be the reason someone feels safe, not the reason they don’t.
The author is an educator and columnist, and writes about literary fiction and reflective articles on society and culture.