You can spend hours on the internet, chatting, searching for information, playing and sifting through endless sources. However, there is also a dark side to the net and other communication technologies such as mobile phones.
Malice can find its way through these technologies in the form of online mobbing, where people who do not necessarily know each other unite online to cyber bully someone.
Freed from the social niceties which physical contact necessitates, pre-teens, teens and even adults gang up like one emotionally and irrationally driven herd. As the mob feeds on the rumours and lies, it grows bigger and more vicious.
Reason is lost in the rush and noise. The mob members feel safe behind the screen as they hurl out misspelt and grammatically incorrect hate messages and insults which they would not dare do in a face-to-face confrontation.
Online mobs make use of communication technologies such as text messages and social media sites such as Facebook, Myspace pages and forums to post cruel comments, false statements and photos for everyone to see.
Online mobbing is a relatively new form of bullying. In the past, bullying mainly took place in the school yard or at the workplace. However, now it is harder for parents, teachers or employers to know what is really happening behind the screen.
Psychologist Lisa Sultana explains that cyber bullying varies and can be divided into direct and cyber bullying by proxy.
Direct cyber bullying involves actions such as sending porn or pictures through mobile or e-mail, stealing passwords and harassing by text messages or postings. Cyber bullying by proxy is when cyber bullies get someone to do the bullying for them, without the second person knowing they are being used.
Ms Sultana gives an example of cyber bullying by proxy using fictitious names. Maria is angry that Rebecca was chosen to play the main part in the school play. Maria finds a teen group online and posts in their chat room that Rebecca is easy and would like to have intercourse with various people.
She then posts Rebecca’s mobile number. People from the group start calling Rebecca with advances and invitations to meet. Maria has no idea how much danger she has placed Rebecca in, and the latter has no clue to how she got herself into such a situation.
The victim could also be an adult or a business. Most, if not all, mob members are usually unknown to the victim, which means the victim is in the dark as to who is sending messages.
Adults and businesses will find it difficult to repair their damaged reputation even if the rumours spread were unfounded. Young victims – children and teenagers who are the most vulnerable – will start feeling everybody is against them and thus feel isolated.
According to a report by the London School of Economics, nearly a fifth of young people in Europe have been bullied, harassed or stalked online and through mobile phones. Moreover, a Microsoft study showed that two in five parents surveyed reported that their teen had been affected by cyber bullying, either as a victim, bully, or witness.
One might ask whether it would not be better if victims had to turn off their computers, change their e-mail address and mobile number to ignore the insults.
Apparently, this is not how the human mind works. There is a masochistic fascination in each victim that wants to discover what other people think of them. So they read on and on, all too often with tragic results.
Tia and Danny, who were both cyber bullied, wrote on Facebook, “I was cyber-bullied for three years, to the point where I wanted to commit suicide.”
Another girl, Julianne, told BBC News she was bullied and threatened. She told her parents, who in turn reported the matter to the police – the police tracked the mob of schoolgirls down.
Ms Sultana says that apart from serious and actual physical harm which the victim may be subject to, there will definitely be psychological effects.
One aspect which also needs to be taken into consideration is the fact that while physical bullying leaves tangible marks, psychological wounds are more difficult for parents and teachers to recognise.
Shame, embarrassment, anger, frustration and a sense of helplessness are all emotions a cyber bullying victim can suffer. The victim may also turn into abuser so they can see themselves as reactive (obviously in the wrong way) and not helpless and powerless.
In Malta, awareness of this problem is increasing and help is offered by Agenzija Appoġġ on 2295 9000 or supportline 179, which helps with various social problems including bullying.
Help can also be sought from psychotherapists, teachers, parents and online cyber mentors.
To prevent falling victim to online mobbing, it is important to keep passwords private and not post photos that can be used as a blackmail.
Parents can be friends with their teenagers on Facebook to monitor them.
Moreover, education on cyber ethics can prevent children, teens and adults from bullying others.
Ms Facchetti is a freelance teacher and writer.