Technology: Beware of the cyberbully

CopspeakThe number of people reporting cases of cyberbullying has increased with time However this is due to awareness of people and the fact that they know that we have a cyber crime department and that there can be a solution Awareness through media has helped us spread a word about the Cyber Crime Investigation Cell In addition to the Cell Mumbai also has a Cyber Crime police station in Bandra Kurla Complex Most people who report to us are adults and the maximum complaints are related to bullying and threats on Facebook Based on the complaint we prepare a plan of actionmdash Nandkishor More ACP Cyber DivisionLog on to cybercellmumbaigovinBe aware of the bullyStudents share a different comfort level with teachers there have been times when students come up and discuss such issues with us Of the cases that have been reported to us most of the bullying happens on Facebook as compared to Whatsapp as you can create fake profiles Also today when kids are researching online or studying they are simultaneously logged in to social networking websites too manyatimes late in the nightEven very good friends consider this as being available and thats when all the propositioning starts The problem with cyberbullying is that a lot of victims dont realise that it is happening to them As for younger children today parents pride themselves of their kids being techsavvy But with services such as Whatsapp videos and sound clips get passed around unnoticed and uncensored While cellphones are necessary to stay connected with your children for young kids I would suggest if parents give mobiles do not activate the Internet or make use of child lockingmdash Shamali Gupta Principal Institute of Mass Media MET League of Colleges MumbaiParents step inDependency on social media and online acceptance has been on the rise among individuals who are shy withdrawn and low in confidence This gives them an easy indirect medium to put themselves out there without the fear of being judged or accepted People who are overconfident selfcentred and loud use this medium for constant attention appreciation and selfapproval Individuals who are selfsufficient confident focused and balanced may use social media for certain benefits but may not become over dependent and make it their entire world Children need to be explained about the use misuse and abuse of social media sites too Children understand and obey rules more so when parents justify their dos and donts than just being strict with them So if parents explain to the child about the advantages and disadvantages consequences of excess use or dependency on social media and cyber crimes they would willingly take precautions and use social media wisely Do not only keep pressurising children with the negatives of social media Because as soon as children find parents too controlling they might choose to step out and experiment even moremdash Dr Anjali Chhabria psychotherapist and psychiatristAbout the surveyMcAfee Tweens Teens amp Technology 2014 report was conducted through a survey of 1420 online tweens aged 812 years and teens aged 1317 years from Mumbai Delhi Chennai Bengaluru Hyderabad Ahmedabad and Pune Despite 80 of the participants being aware that their online activity can affect their identity 92 had posted something risky online 46 said that their parents have had a conversation about online safety Others informed that their parents simply dont care 52Dont be a slave to social mediaIndividuals lack onetoone communication as they tend to get hooked on to their phones checking these social media sites in their free time Chhabria tells us that it has been observed that people who are overdependent on social media become more conscious about themselves making them low in selfconfidence and introverted Social media obsession has also made people lonely isolated and withdrawn as they have forgotten how to converse and maintain relations face to face Lastly dependency on social media also makes one prone to making random friends which in some cases leads to cyber sex cyber crime stalking kidnapping etc warns Chhabria