My public service announcement is about cyberbullying, which is also known as online harassment, and its impact on a consumer’s mental and physical health. With this increase in technology, and rampant use of social media platforms, more and more consumers are subject to cyberbullying. In Renée Hobbs’ textbook, “Create to Learn,” she discusses how to be digitally literate in this technology consumption era. Furthermore, the author mentioned how the role of the gatekeeper has expanded and how the increased access to certain digital tools creates a “participatory culture where people are not just consuming media but also sharing, remixing, and creating” (Hobbs 3). This participatory culture has expanded to include a platform for cyberbullying on social media. More than 80% of teenagers use their cellphone regularly on a daily basis, which explains why teenagers comprise the largest demographic for cyberbullying victims. The impacts of these crude comments or sarcastic jokes have an impact on the person receiving this virtual harassment. Overall, victims of bullying can experience anxiety, depression, amongst other forms of mental and physical distress. Similarly, victims of cyberbullying can face long-term “emotional, concentration, and behavioral issues,” including self-harm, trust issues, and drug and alcohol abuse (Touro University). As addressed in the PSA, cyberbullying victims are more likely to consider suicide than non-cyberbullied victims. The solution that I propose at the end of the PSA is for commenters to use their words wisely. Like Thumper said in the movie, “Bambi,” words can hurt people, so if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say it at all.
This PSA is meant to highlight the impact of cyberbullying on a person’s mental and physical health. This issue may be complicated; however, the answer is simple: don’t post mean comments. To expand on my advocacy statement, the introduction of the PSA poses the question, “Does being cruel online have an impact,” while the user scrolls and likes mean comments on Kim Kardashian’s instagram post. The scene transitions to show how online harassment hurts people, the definition of cyberbullying, and how it impacts teens emotionally and physically. The PSA closes with the solution given to the audience by Thumper, which is if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say it at all.
Links
Song: Jeremy Blake, “We’ll meet again.”
Effects of Cyberbullying pt. 2
Chowing Down on Culture 