What can I do if someone is posting mean stuff about me?
This definitely counts as cyberbullying. Years ago, before social networking and tech-heavy lifestyles, bullying usually occurred face-to-face. It was in the form of verbally teasing, repeatedly causing physical harm or causing embarrassment. This can still happen, but the internet has created many more opportunities for bullying (and often with a bigger reach than just in-person bullying). It's also not something to be taken lightly. Teenagers have suffered from depression and anxiety and some have even have taken their own lives because of cyberbullying.
What counts as cyberbullying?
Posting personal information about you (including pictures that may have been shared in private)
Posting mean or embarrassing information about you
Sending you mean or threatening messages on one or many of your personal accounts
Creating an account and pretending to be you
Hacking into your accounts and pretending to be you
What can you do about it? Start by saving the evidence. Take a screen shot of whatever is going on. The next step is up to you and what you want to do about it. You can go to a trusted adult like your parent or a teacher and ask for their guidance. You may also want to report it to the social media platforms as many of them can take action against the cyberbullying. You may feel comfortable talking directly with the person and asking them to stop, but try not to cyberbully them in return as it can also cause serious harm. You should also look into local laws. Many places have laws against cyberbullying because it's so harmful. Lastly, if the bullying is causing depression, anxiety or thoughts of suicide, please tell someone. An aunt, a doctor, a coach or call the national suicide lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
