Cyberbullying

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

Rob Hello and welcome to The English We Speak with me Rob…

Feifei …and me Feifei. Hello.

Rob In this programme, we’re talking about an expression that’s appeared in the age of the internet. And it’s connected to social media. So Feifei do you communicate with other people a lot on social media?

Feifei Yes, I do. I love chatting with my friends and meeting new people… some people are mean though. They write very negative messages attacking others… it’s nasty!

Rob It is. And it’s something we call cyberbullying. That’s a form of bullying in which people harass and harm other people online deliberately. And unlike the traditional bully, the electronic bully can remain anonymous. So we don’t know who they are.

Feifei Cyberbullying includes things like spreading lies and rumours online, sending or forwarding unpleasant messages via instant messaging, text or on social networks.

Rob Yes. It’s becoming very common among teenagers these days. There are campaigns against cyberbullying and some places have adopted laws to prevent it. Let’s hear examples of how this expression is used.

Examples Kate is a victim of cyberbullying. It’s so bad she doesn’t want to leave the house. Someone from school has put messages on social media saying she’s ugly and she should die. It’s terrible!

Experts say people should protect themselves from cyberbullying by not taking everything to heart.

Feifei Well, this last example includes some good advice.

Rob Indeed. Experts advise you not to give out your own or friends’ personal information and know how to block or report people who behave in an improper way.

Feifei And when you send messages to people, be careful about what you write and post online. And don’t share an unkind personal comment or image. Remember that though you think you have just a computer in front of you, on the other side of the screen there is a real human being.

Rob So be safe and happy online. Enjoy social media.

Both Bye!