Understanding the difference between cyberbullying and cyber savvy is very important in today’s digital world. As the digital scene continues to expand in South Africa, we all need to learn how to navigate it. This is where digital literacy comes in.
Digital literacy involves educating yourself on digital topics. It helps teens stay safe online, which should be your number one priority as a parent.
This article will explore the difference between cyberbullying and cyber savvy. It will show you how to save your teenagers from harmful internet situations.
Understanding the Difference Between Cyberbullying and Cyber Savvy
The main difference between cyberbullying and cyber savvy lies in the intent behind the two. Cyberbullying harms, but being cyber savvy protects. It’s important for South African teens to become cyber-savvy and learn how to protect themselves on the internet.
Lack of knowledge about the difference between cyberbullying and cyber savvy can make teens vulnerable to online threats. This is why digital literacy is so valuable for our teenagers.
What is Cyber Savvy?
Being cyber savvy means knowing how to use technology safely and navigate the digital scene in a responsible way. When a teen is cyber savvy, they have the knowledge and skills needed to protect themselves while they surf the internet. This means they don’t disclose personal information, they avoid potentially harmful situations, and they treat other internet users with respect.
Knowing the difference between cyberbullying and cyber savvy encourages ethical internet use. While cyberbullying involves harmful interaction, cyber-savvy promotes responsible internet behavior.
Cyber Savvy Examples
Now that we’ve covered the cyber-savvy definition, let’s take a look at some cyber-savvy examples:
- Protecting your privacy: To protect your privacy online, you need to use a strong password to keep people from hacking into your account. Limiting the people who can see your account is another way to protect your privacy. Understanding privacy settings is a huge part of being cyber-savvy.
- Avoiding harmful content: Reporting harmful content, rather than engaging with it, shows the difference between cyberbullying and cyber savvy. Teens should never engage with harmful content. It could end up being a scam or an attempt to get personal information from you.
- Critical thinking: You shouldn’t believe everything you see online. Some people spread fake news, so when information gets to you, take the time to evaluate the news source. Use critical thinking to figure out if the news is real or fake.
- Digital hygiene habits: Digital hygiene is an extension of being cyber-savvy. It encourages safe and secure online activity. Good digital hygiene habits include using antivirus software and regularly updating your computer software.
What Does Cyber Bullying Mean?
Contrary to cyber savvy, cyberbullying is the use of digital technology to attack, harass, intimidate, or humiliate someone or a group of people. It is often done through communication channels like social media, emails, messaging apps, or even websites. It involves a deliberate attack on someone which affects their life and safety.
There are severe emotional effects of cyberbullying. The act often leaves victims feeling terrified, insecure, or anxious. And those are just three emotional effects of cyberbullying. There is still so much more that victims go through.
For some teens, cyberbullying isn’t just a hurtful comment, it’s a nightmare they experience daily. And it leads to anxiety, depression, and, in the worst cases, self-harm or suicide.
Six Examples of Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying can present itself in many ways. Here are six examples of cyberbullying:
1. Harassment
This involves abusive behavior that is done repeatedly. It could be sending threatening or offensive messages, sharing information or visual content without consent, or commenting on hurtful statements.
2. Spreading Rumours
Rumors are harmful in real life and even more harmful online. This is because they catch on like wildfire and can spread worldwide in mere minutes. When teenagers hear rumors about themselves, they feel powerless and depressed.
3. Outing/Doxxing
Doxxing involves exposing someone’s personal information online. This information can be their home address, place of work, personal email address or phone number, children’s names, or any other private information that is shared without the owner’s consent.
4. Cyberstalking
Cyberstalking refers to persistent, threatening behavior. It involves the use of technology to consistently engage with someone who doesn’t want to interact with you. Online surveillance, spamming, and placing orders in someone else’s name are other forms of cyberstalking.
5. Flaming and Trolling
Understanding the difference between cyberbullying and cyber savvy helps to avoid harmful online trends like flaming and trolling. This type of cyberbullying involves provoking arguments or harassment by sending hurtful messages online.
7. Impersonation and Fake Profiles
Impersonating someone online is cyberbullying. It is a form of identity theft where people use fake profiles to cause harm to the victim and others.
Cyberbullying can take many forms, but the impact is always damaging. If you’d like to dive deeper into how it works and ways to protect yourself or your loved ones, check out this full guide on the types of cyberbullying.
Five Signs of Cyberbullying
It is easier to spot cyberbullying early when you know the difference between cyberbullying and cyber savvy. There are five signs of cyberbullying:
1. Extreme Response to Online Notification
Experiencing cyberbullying might make the victim almost scared of their own phones. They might have extreme reactions to notifications from social media or messaging platforms. They might be jumpy, nervous, or uncomfortable.
2. Anger or Sadness While Using or After Using The Internet
You might notice that the victim is angry or upset whenever they interact online. This could be a sign that they’re experiencing cyberbullying. Every online interaction will leave them feeling sad and withdrawn.
3. Being Secretive of Their Digital Life
While being secretive of digital info is one of the traits of being cyber savvy, excessive secrecy might be a sign of cyberbullying. Victims of cyberbullying typically feel ashamed even though they are not at fault. This shame makes them want to hide what they are going through.
4. Withdrawal from Everything
If you notice your child withdrawing from family activities, it might not just be ‘teenage mood swings.’ It could be a silent cry for help. Victims often prefer to spend time alone in their rooms, rather than interact with their family and friends. They may lose interest in things they once loved and retreat into themselves. If you notice this sudden withdrawal, you should act quickly.
Visit Angie.org.za to learn how you can take action and support those in need.
5. Poor School Performance
Some emotional effects of cyberbullying are difficulty concentrating and focusing in class. This effect might lead to a drop in grades. Teenagers who experience cyberbullying are more likely to struggle in school. If you’d like to learn more about how to spot and respond to these warning signs, check out this detailed guide on the signs of cyberbullying.
How to Prevent Cyber Bullying Online
Parents and schools should educate children and teens on the difference between cyberbullying and cyber savvy. Knowing this difference promotes safer internet use. Here are four ways to prevent cyberbullying online:
1. Internet Safety Education
The more children and teens in South Africa know, the better they can protect themselves. By educating them on the best internet safety practices, we can help them avoid risky situations. This education can be done by parents or in schools.
2. Teach Responsible Internet Use and Be Involved
Teaching the difference between cyberbullying and cyber savvy can help to prevent online abuse. As a parent, it’s important to be involved in your child’s digital life. Unfortunately, most teenagers don’t like this as they prefer to keep their online world private.
You should try easing them into the idea by gently bringing it up. Explain that you’re only doing it because you care and don’t force it on them. Being forceful will likely make them more secretive.
3. Setting Online Boundaries
Boundaries help to protect your children from potentially harmful online spaces. Limiting their access to the internet is a great way to set online boundaries. You can also try monitoring which sites they go on so you know more about what they’re doing online.
4. Reporting Harassment and Blocking the Bully
Reporting accounts on social media is a simple process. And it should be the first response to cyberbullying. This helps to prevent the situation from happening again, especially if you use the “block this account and any other accounts they might have” feature.
If you’d like to dive deeper into understanding the impact and harmful effects of cyberbullying, check out this detailed guide: Harmful Effects of Cyberbullying.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I tell when online behaviour is cyberbullying rather than just rude or teasing?
Cyberbullying is different from a one-off rude comment because it is usually repeated, intentional, and designed to harm or humiliate someone. Unlike teasing, it can cause lasting emotional effects such as fear, anxiety, or withdrawal.
What are practical steps for teens to become more cyber-savvy and reduce risks online?
Teens can become more cyber savvy by learning how to manage their privacy settings, using strong passwords, keeping their devices updated, thinking critically about the content they see online, and reporting or blocking harmful accounts instead of engaging with them.
What can parents or schools do to help protect teens from cyberbullying and support cyber-savvy behaviour?
Parents and schools can protect teens by teaching digital literacy, encouraging open conversations about online experiences, setting clear rules for internet use, and providing access to resources or workshops that show teens how to behave responsibly online and how to report abuse when it happens.
Conclusion
Recognizing the difference between cyberbullying and cyber savvy helps all of us to create a safer online space. The internet is a powerful tool but it can also be very dangerous. Being cyber savvy allows you to stay safe while you’re on the internet.
At the end of the day, the difference between cyberbullying and cyber savvy is about choice. You’re either the person who treats other people with respect or the person who engages in harmful digital behavior. Choose to be better!
No parent should have to bury their child because of online cruelty. If you suspect cyberbullying, don’t ignore the signs. Visit Angie.org.za to get the support your child deserves.
This article was written by Techdella.
