Patricia Welch

UWRT 1104

Introduction/Background:
I recently observed a show called Pretty Little Liars and noticed an underlying theme. The
show isnt just about five girls keeping secrets that an anonymous person knows about and is
threatening them. It all ties into how exactly this anonymous person is manipulating the girls,
causing them to be considered weak. The girls all get anonymous texts that put them through
some of the worse days of their lives. So, that underlying theme: cyber bullying.
Cyber bullying is a well-known problem nowadays, and has been for the past decade.
Individuals who experience cyber bullying are affected in some type of way. Teens are a targeted
audience for cyber bullying, but it is the teens themselves that put each other in this intolerable
position because of ones actions or personality factors. Many mobile phones and social media
networks have evolved and have helped expand this problem. Some of these factors are social
media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and many more. One of the biggest
problems is that they are so easily accessible because of mobile devices. This creates the cyber
bullies we have today and creates long term effects on many victims. The adulthood of these
victims are affected in many ways, causing fear, vulnerability, and insecurity. What I want to
really express is just how this fear, vulnerability, and insecurity affect people and how cyber
bullying plays a role in enhancing these unwanted characteristics. Also, I want to take a look at
some of the factors that lead to cyber bullying and why it is such a problem.
Before I go more into detail, I would like to point out the potential bias that may arise in the
paper. On the topic of cyber bullying, I view it as wrong and I dont think anything can stop

Commented [1]: The second sentence in this

paragraph really grabbed my attention. I think that you
should somehow make it your opening sentence to
grab the attention of the reader. Something along the
lines of "In the show Pretty Little Liars, there's much
more going on than the secrets...".

Patricia Welch
UWRT 1104
cyber bullying. I view that it is mainly targeted at teens, and that is what Im mostly going to
focus on, but others may view a different age group as one to be more effected by cyber bullying.
Also, a major factor of potential bias is that I am a big user of technology and social media
networks. I have accounts for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, just to name a few.
These social medias are some of the culprits to cyber bullying, yet I use them all. This just shows
how technology has consumed our society.
Literature Review:

Commented [2]: This can be a good point, how

technology is a huge factor in today's society. Reword it
a little because it sounds like you don't believe in your
paper's point. Just tweak it so it sounds like this is a
hard subject to truly solve.

If you did a survey and asked everyone to name three things they always carry on them, the
answer of a mobile phone would be a common one (Chipchase 207). Because teenagers are so
advanced with technology, this leads to high risk behaviors (Agatston 2007). When reading
through sources and other authors views, I noticed a few trends in the topic at hand. Although

Commented [3]: I thought that this was a really good

way to connect with the reader since having cell
phones is a very common thing today. However maybe
you could open the paragraph by asking the question
to the reader. Very good way to make the reader relate
to your paper though.

they were different sources and expressed different ideas, they, overall, led to the explanation of
cyber bullying and its effects on people.
Lets take a look at the journal that was cited above. In this journal, we get the perspective of
students on cyber bullying (Agatston 2007). This journal goes into detail about how the targeted
audience, which are teens, were surveyed and interviewed on socioeconomic data and their
familiarity. Of course, the majority are tech-savvy. That is just how we teens are, and in this
survey, it was expected. This concept is similar to that of the one in Chipchases. Now, when we
take a look at The Wiley Handbook of Psychology, Technology, and Society (Rosen, Carrier, &
Cheever 2010), we see that they too bring up the impact of technology on young adults/teens. A

Commented [4]: Try re-writing this sentence. Since

you are doing internal citation, it is unnecessary to say
"in the citation above". Just say "in my studies". You
want this research to sound like yours, not someone
else's.

Patricia Welch
UWRT 1104

survey is also talked about throughout page 3 of the handbook. Although the surveys in the
different sources were very different, they both led to the realization of students and
technological advances that has caused them to be dependable on them.
Obviously, children need to learn to become independent, but technology and the constant
advancement of it doesnt allow children to quite grasp the concept of independence. I love the
statement expressed in the first sentence of Impacts of Cyberbullying, Building Social and
Emotional Resilience in Schools, which says Young peoples experience in the online
environment is holistic (Chadwick 2009). I think of this as a key sentence to the explanation of
teens and technology. They rely too much on what they shouldnt and are constantly depending
on the use of technology for satisfaction. When teenagers start young on what I would like to call

Commented [5]: This is an excellent statement. You

are directly quoting one of your sources. This is a good
habit to do, but if you are directly quoting, you can put
the name of the author. Like "Impacts of Cyberbullying,
written by James Chadwick" etc. It makes it flow just a
bit better with an internal citation.

an addiction, it effects their future. Being exposed to technology and the different social media
networks all the time gives a high probability of cyber bullying.
What ever happened to the days when kids would go outside and play? Now, you cant get
kids to do anything without their technology. Yes, I am guilty of the overuse of technology, but
who isnt? Our society has evolved and now revolves around these advancements. So, there
wouldnt be a problem with it, but then you have people using these specific advancements to
cause the discomfort of others and that is not what the purpose of technology was. Take Monica
Lewinsky for example (Cornish 2015). She lived with people cyber bullying her about her
scandal with President Clinton for years and now she has to live with that. She is constantly hurt
by the bold statements of others, but she recently had decided to take a stand and speak on her

Commented [6]: I really liked these opening sentences

because it made me compare how I am today with my
phone and laptop to how I used to just be happy with a
coloring book and playing outside. It made me realize
how different kids are today versus what we were like
when we were little. You should consider moving the to
the beginning of the first paragraph after the survey
question to make the reader start thinking.
Commented [7]: I thought that Monica Lewinsky was a
great example to use. It shows that cyberbullying can
happen to anyone no matter what your age is. The fact
that it affected an adult that way puts it into perspective
of how the teenagers must be feeling if an adult
couldn't even handle it.

Patricia Welch
UWRT 1104
own behalf about why she isnt going to let this bother her any more. She lived in fear for a
while because of what others were saying. Imagine the millions of people who have to be strong
for themselves in situations like these just because people are misusing social media networks.
The sad part is that some people arent strong enough. At least Monica Lewinsky was an adult
when this happened.
Many people experience this in their teenage years and that is a time when individuals are
more vulnerable and fearful. So, certain things set in like depression for example, and
unfortunately some teens commit suicide. This concept of fearing fear itself is what makes
victims of cyber bullying so fragile (Walker 2012). Cyber bullying has too much of an effect on
people for it not to get recognized. Like Poon states in her view on bullying, the psychological
and physical tolls, like anxiety and depression, can follow a person into early adulthood (Poon
2014).
When analyzing cyber bullying, the ABC Family television series, Pretty Little Liars, is a
perfect example. When I did observations on three episodes of the show, the plot/story line
revolved around a cyber bully who wouldnt leave the determined teenagers alone (King 2014). I
noticed that in all three of the episodes, the Liars, which are the main characters of the show,
constantly got text messages from an anonymous person (Welch 2016). The texts were threats
majority of the time and this put the Liars in fear of their own lives. There was a question that I
had asked in an interview that I conducted asking if the cyber bullying the Liars went through
should have been brought up to the police (Welch, February 6, 2016). Well, this just shows how

Commented [8]: This confused me a little bit. You start

off by talking about doing your observations, but you
end with citing King. Consider making the statement
from King it's own sentence.

Patricia Welch
UWRT 1104
teens can be so consumed by what others are saying about that that they wont necessarily turn to
the right thing to do, especially if they are threats like the Liars were receiving. Throughout the
show, the Liars just kept everything to themselves and felt like they couldnt tell anyone about
their situations that they had been going through for years. This can definitely take a toll on
teenagers.
Entering the Conversation:
Now, Im sure we all dont need one to tell us that cyber bullying is just plain out wrong. This
is something where most know that it is wrong and shouldnt be done, yet people still do it, why?
I have come to the realization that some people dont even know they are being a cyber bully
until you tell them. They may be cyber bullying someone one moment and then are watching a
movie, for example, that has a character bullying another character and that person watching
knows that the character doing the bullying is in the wrong. What that person fails to see is that
they are doing the same in real life, they just dont realize it and dont think what they are doing
is hurting anyone. That person doesnt realize the consequences of what they say or do and, at
that age, teens really take into consideration what others think of them and they want to create a
perfect image. To help with cyber bullying being known and helping for the better, I think
conducting a website as a sort of survey would be beneficial.
This website would be one that anyone can sign up for and it would be free. Why put a cost
on someones emotions? The website would be named Cyber Bullying: Have You Experienced
This? This website would be sort of like Facebook in a way that you can post anything you

Commented [9]: I think that the website is a fantastic

idea, but when you explain it in the paragraph below
you describe it as a social media website where you
can post and read other people's posts. The survey is a
great idea and I think that you should still include it
because your questions are great. However when you
write this sentence to introduce the idea of the website
I don't think that you should call it a survey.

Patricia Welch
UWRT 1104

want, but the purpose is to share your experiences of cyber bullying with others. Once you go
onto the website, you will get a choice to either create an account or post for a one time use. If
you create an account, you can choose whatever name you want your profile to be under and that
name would show on your postings. The purpose of choosing any name you want is so that you
can be anonymous if you dont want anyone knowing who you are. When you finally log in or
create an account, you will see at the top a box where you can post something, and then below
would be a feed of anyone and everyone who has posted on the website. There will not be any
section or area where you can reply to others postings. Though this is so, there will be a like
button at the bottom of each post. This is to prevent further cyber bullying because what if
someone were to use the website for the wrong reasons? So, people will be able to express their
feelings and thats it. This website can be used for the bullied, the bullies, a witness, or just
someone who has a lot to say about the topic. Also, when signing up for this website, a profile
picture is not required. You will have a list of different avatars that you can use instead of a
picture of your own. This prevents any insecurities people may have with putting up their own
personal photo of themselves on the website. I was also thinking that it would be a great idea to
create an app for this so that people can follow up with the feed when they are out and about and
get notifications about it.
To go along with this website to test out how it is working, I would want to conduct an
interview/on a few people who have been using the website. To do this, there would be a section
on the website in the top right hand corner that has their profile settings. Next to that would be a
Contact Us button. When you click on that there would be information about the owner of the

Patricia Welch
UWRT 1104

website and there would also be information about who to call if you would like to talk to
someone about your situation on cyber bullying. Then, there would be a little box that asks you
to take a survey, providing a short response to the questions presented. Here are the questions
that would be asked:
1. Was this website easy to find and how did you know about it? Were there any troubles in
creating your account and getting used to the layout of the website?
2. Have you ever been cyber bullied or have witnessed someone being cyber bullied? Have
you ever been the cyber bully? How has being cyber bullied, the cyber bully, or a witness
affected you? What kind of consequences were there and how do you think your future
will be affected by it? What are the short term effects? What are the long term effects?
3. With your own knowledge of the topic and your own experiences, how would you define
cyber bullying and what kind of advice would you give to someone about the topic?
4. What do you like about this website? What are the pros and cons? How often do you use
it?
5. Would you recommend this website to anybody and why? If you would, think of five
close friends and share it with them!
This questionnaire would definitely be helpful with knowing if the website is useful and a
success. The website would help with cutting down on cyber bullying and actually opening
peoples eyes to see that cyber bullying is wrong and has an effect on many people. I wouldnt
necessarily say that this is a solution to cyber bullying, but it definitely helps. Cyber bullying is
something that there is no real solution to. You can do things to help cope with the situation and

Patricia Welch
UWRT 1104

you can help your community on finding ways to stop cyber bullying, but it is never definite.
This goes back to what I said earlier on in the Literature Review section of this paper. With so
much technologic advancement we have, no wonder there is so much cyber bullying. So, since
we do have this technology, cyber bullying will never truly end. Also, perspective plays a big
role in this topic. One may have a different perspective on what cyber bullying is and may not
think certain things being said is considered harmful or hurtful to another. This is why I included
question number three in the questionnaire/survey because it lets me know how others think and
gives me their perspective on cyber bullying. Sometimes someone can get caught up in their own
view on something and not take others into consideration. With the characteristics of fear,
vulnerability, and insecurity, the website and questionnaire/survey are a great way to overcome
those unwanted characteristics and become strong and independent again.
Conclusion:
The purpose of this research was to gain a better understanding of who gets affected by cyber
bullying and just how much they do. Also, the purpose was to come to a conclusion on what
causes cyber bullying. The desire to conduct that website, as stated above, would definitely work
toward these purposes and help with finding possible solutions. The solutions may not be
something as big as to end cyber bullying, but there can be solutions to many multiple problems
that lead up to cyber bullying, which will help with the prevention of it. A conclusion that I have
made is that cyber bullying is inevitable. There is no really telling is it will stop, or even die
down.

Patricia Welch
UWRT 1104

My plan to conduct a survey can relate to a few sources that I acquired and used in the
literature review. For example, Agatston surveys and analyzes teenagers and their familiarity
with the technology they use on a daily basis, which can lead to cyber bullying. Also, The Wiley
Handbook of Psychology, Technology, and Society expresses the effect of technology on teens.
This can relate to how I had the plan to create a website for teens to express their views on cyber
bullying. This allows the website users to feel comfortable with the format because it is
something they are familiar with.
So, not only can this aspect of cyber bullying be researched, as I did, but there are many other
potential research areas beyond my work. One could be that of trying to find answers as to why
people in general are so addicted to technology. Is it an addiction? Or is it just second nature
because of how society has evolved? Also, something that can be researched is the correlation
between technology and cyberbullying. With the increase in technology, does cyber bullying
increase as well? What specific advancements cause an increase in cyber bullying? Is there a
specific social media that causes the growth of it?
People have become so desensitized to comments made on social media networks that they
dont even realize that some form of cyber bullying is present. What we really need to figure out

Commented [10]: These are outside the box questions

that are awesome. They would make the reader go out
and try to fix these issues as well. My question is why
did you not answer these questions in your research?
These would have made for a much more supportive
information.

is how we, as users of these technologies, can find a way to stop this before it gets out of control
and before technology keeps advancing.

Commented [11]: In a previous paragraph, you said it

was inevitable and that you don't think it can stop. This
inconsistency brings your paper down and puts more of
your opinion into it. Having your opinion in the paper is
not wrong, but you want your paper to be convincing
and meaningful. Try working on that.

Patricia Welch
UWRT 1104

Works Cited:
Agatston, P. w. (2007) Students' Perspectives on Cyber Bullying. Journal of Adolescent Health
41, S59S60.

(2015, July 13) An App to Stop Cyberbullying. NPR. NPR.

Chadwick, S. Impacts of cyberbullying, building social and emotional resilience in schools.

Chipchase, J. (2007, March) The Anthropology of Mobile Phones. TED Talks.

Patricia Welch
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Cornish, A., and Bennett, J. (2015, March 23) Monica Lewinsky Redefines Her Story In AntiCyberbullying TED Talk. NPR. other.

(2012, October) How Our Stories Cross Over. TED Talks.

King, M. (2014) Pretty Little Liars. Netflix.

Poon, L. (2014, April 19) Mental And Physical Toll Of Bullying Persists For Decades. NPR.

Rosen, L. D., Cheever, N. A., and Carrier, L. M. The Wiley handbook of psychology,
technology, and society.

Walker, K. (2012, June) What Fear Can Teach Us. TED Talks.

Welch, P. (2016, February 6) Pretty Little Liars Interview. personal.

Welch, P. (2016) Pretty Little Liars Observations. Pretty Little Liars Observations. tsCharlotte.