The Dark Side of Instagram: Dealing with Cyberbullying and Online Harassment

Minors on Instagram make up a small part of it, but they still play an essential role in driving the culture of the app. But Instagram can also be a dangerous place for minors. Besides the potential predators, cyberbullying is a big problem on the platform. Let's discuss more about cyberbullying and give you some tips to mitigate it if you or your children feel harassed.

What is Cyberbullying and Online Harassment?

These two terms intermingle, as they mean the same thing. Cyberbullying tends to focus on minors. Someone in school may be sent mean messages from their classmates about their appearance, beliefs, or for no good reason.

Online harassment is quite similar, but it's more centered around adult users. Feeling horrible because someone said something terrible about you is not just something that children and teens experience. Someone can start an online harassment campaign against you, which can have detrimental effects.

Some people believe that cyberbullying is something that you shouldn’t take seriously because it’s all online. They may see it as a phenomenon where all the person needs to do is close their laptop or turn off their phone, and it’s over.

But many people rely on the Internet for their daily lives, be it for work or socialization. Because of this, the idea of just turning off the computer may not be in the cards.

Cyberbullying on Instagram

In 2017, Instagram was one of the top platforms for cyberbullying. Since then, other youth-focused apps, like TikTok and Discord, have risen and given Instagram a run for its money. However, Instagram is still one of the most prominent places for this.

You can obtain Instagram Reel likes, increase your presence on the platform, and have many conversions on the site, but it also can invite some of the worst people out there to harass you.

There are several reasons why Instagram can be a hub for bullying.

• While the app's culture can encourage positive vibes and free expression, it has a darker side. Some people may bully others out of jealousy or due to projection. For example, if someone is jealous of another person's appearance, they may bully the person to make them feel better.
• Instagram is more anonymous than its Facebook counterpart. Users can create burner accounts with no names attached much more quickly. This can encourage cyberbullying.
• Because Instagram uses an algorithm, it may recommend content to cyber bullies that are perfect fodder for them.

How to Mitigate Cyberbullying on Instagram

If you or someone you love is a victim of cyberbullying, here are some ways to mitigate that.

Encourage Openness

If the cyberbullying victim is a child of yours, they may feel unsafe in telling you. They may worry that you'll judge them or that they will get in trouble. As a parent, you don't want to create this environment. Instead, if your child is being a victim of bullying, they should want to open up and talk to you about it.

Use Instagram’s Built-In Tools

One way to prevent cyberbullying is to use the many built-in tools the platform offers. Instagram takes cyberbullying seriously and implements filters to warn users if their comments violate the community guidelines. Users can report a user and then block them as well. Instagram also has custom filters where a user can hide certain words.

Of course, their moderation is not perfect. Many trolls can find their way around the filters and make new accounts should their original accounts be taken down.

Encourage Not to Respond Immediately

If someone leaves a hate comment, it is tempting to respond immediately with your own emotionally charged comment. However, this is what the bully wants. Most harassers are doing it to get a rise out of another person. If you feed the troll, they will want to harass you more.

The 30-Minute Rule

If your child sees a cyberbullying comment, they should wait about 30 minutes to respond to it. Tensions are high, and they may have even read the comment wrong. When they are ready, they can respond to the comment. They should ask the person calmly about what they said; perhaps it's a misunderstanding they can fix.

Take Screenshots

You want to gather evidence whenever your child is being a victim of cyberbullying. As a result, you should take screenshots and log when these comments were made. Doing so can help you if you need to report the comment.

Speak to Someone Who Can Help

If your child is being cyberbullied, don't be afraid to have them speak to someone who can help. One way they can speak to someone is by talking to a teacher or someone with authority. They may want to call a hotline if they are feeling depressed or want to self-harm.

Encourage a Break

Finally, while cyberbullying can be effective toward someone's mental health, the best way that they can fight back is to take a break. If needed, stay away from technology and do something different.

While some harassment campaigns will not go away from ignoring them, many cyberbullies are doing it to get a rise out of someone. If the person is not responding emotionally, the bullies may go to their next target.

Consider Monitoring Apps

Of course, trolls may escalate their harassment campaign, so monitor the situation carefully. If you see that your child is still the victim of cyberbullying, you may want to download a monitoring app. These apps can help you know where the harassment is coming from, and you can take steps to report it to the authorities.

Dealing with online harassment feels like rolling a boulder up the hill, but you can mitigate it with some strategy.

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